˜yÐÄvlog

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View synonyms for

illness

[ il-nis ]

noun

  1. poor health; sickness:

    He grew up in an environment known for poverty, illness, and little opportunity for education.

  2. a specific sickness or disease, or an instance of such:

    Please be as accurate as possible in listing your childhood illnesses.

    Synonyms: , ,

  3. Obsolete. wickedness.


illness

/ ˈɪ±ô²Ôɪ²õ /

noun

  1. a disease or indisposition; sickness
  2. a state of ill health
  3. obsolete.
    wickedness
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged†2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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˜yÐÄvlog History and Origins

Origin of illness1

First recorded in 1490–1500; ill + -ness
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Compare Meanings

How does illness compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The evidence from psychiatrists commissioned by both the defence and the prosecution all pointed the same way - Sharkey's mental illness meant she had a partial defence to murder.

From

Ahead of his inauguration, Trump's transition team said Oz would "work closely" with US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr to "take on the illness industrial complex".

From

It introduced Maid in 2016, initially for terminally ill adults with a serious and incurable physical illness, which causes intolerable suffering.

From

Deathbed scenes have always been a part of film and television, but after “Love Story,†terminal illness became a cinematic genre.

From

A measles infection temporarily suppresses the immune system, Mina said, and it was long assumed that opportunistic infections around the time of the illness were the result of that short-term suppression.

From

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More About Illness

What doesÌýillness mean?

Illness is a state of poor health or sickness, as in I’ve had to miss a lot of work due to illness.

The word illness is also commonly used to refer to a disease or instance of sickness.

This sense of the word is often used when the type of disease is uncertain or unknown or when someone doesn’t want to specify what it is, as in They said that he is in the hospital with an illness, but they didn’t provide any further details.Ìý

The word illness is based on the adjective ill, meaning sick.

Example: The best way to avoid illness is to thoroughly wash your hands.

Where doesÌýillness come from?

The first records of the word illness come from around 1500. The suffix -ness isÌý used to form nouns and indicates a state or condition (in this case, the state of condition of being ill.)

Describing an illness as serious means it could cause serious harm, as in This is a serious illness—not some regular cold. A chronic illness is one that lasts for a long time or frequently recurs. A terminal illness is one that will result in death. The term mental illness refers to a psychological disorder.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to illness?

  • illnesses (plural)
  • ill (adjective)

What are some synonyms for illness?

What are some words that share a root or word element with illness?Ìý

What are some words that often get used in discussing illness?

How isÌýillness used in real life?

Illness is often used in the context of public health, such as in messages about how to fight the spread of illness. It’s also used when someone is sick and doesn’t know why or doesn’t want to say why.

Ìý

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Try usingÌýillness!

Is illness used correctly in the following sentence?

The play was postponed because the lead actor was suffering from illness.

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