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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

/ ˈɪɪ /

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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Word 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.

For years, the U.S. also denied responsibility for Agent Orange cleanup, despite the recognition of dioxin-associated illnesses among U.S. veterans and testing that revealed continuing dioxin exposure among potentially tens of thousands of Vietnamese.

From

The fact that the lunch of beef wellington, mash potatoes and green beans contained death cap mushrooms and caused the guests' illnesses is not in contention, the court heard.

From

Ms Mortimer said she was far from a runner before, but it had become "like my therapy" since her illness.

From

People with regular primary care providers are more likely to get preventive care that avoids serious illnesses and feel more empowered to advocate for themselves.

From

He was set to make a second defence against Joseph Parker in February but illness forced him to withdraw from the bout in fight week.

From

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More About Illness

doesillness 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.

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 doesillness come from?

The first records of the word illness come from around 1500. The suffix -ness is 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 ... ?

are some other forms related to illness?

  • illnesses (plural)
  • ill (adjective)

are some synonyms for illness?

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

are some words that often get used in discussing illness?

How isillness 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.

Try usingillness!

Is illness used correctly in the following sentence?

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

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