rheumatic

1 of 2

adjective

rheu·​mat·​ic ru̇-ˈma-tik How to pronounce rheumatic (audio)
: of, relating to, characteristic of, or affected with rheumatism
rheumatically adverb

rheumatic

2 of 2

noun

: one affected with rheumatism

Examples of rheumatic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Hydroxychloroquine is an antimalarial drug that is used for some rheumatic conditions, such as systemic lupus, and for some less-common types of hair loss (called scarring alopecias). Dr. Keith Roach, oregonlive, 8 Aug. 2023 Horizon, which is based in Ireland, sells orphan drugs, which are medications for rare diseases, and drugs to treat rheumatic diseases. Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2023 Eventually, Koren said, her team’s work could lead to a variety of new therapies for diseases that currently have no cure, in the form of magnetic stimulation or other non-invasive therapies for patients with rheumatic arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis and other disorders. Larry Luxner, Sun Sentinel, 28 July 2022 Downey says that some of her fatigue is now coming back, and she’s been connecting with other people who have psoriatic arthritis through CreakyJoints, an advocacy and research organization for people with arthritis and rheumatic disease, for support. Korin Miller, SELF, 12 Oct. 2021 Charis Hill of Sacramento, who uses they/them pronouns, has axial spondyloarthritis, a progressive rheumatic inflammatory disease. Carolyn Said, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 Mar. 2023 Psoriasis does cause inflammation in the body, which may explain why people with psoriasis, like other rheumatic disorders, are at higher risk for heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. Dr. Keith Roach, oregonlive, 17 Feb. 2023 Eye boogers are primarily a combination of mucus, tears, and skin cells known as rheum and are scientifically termed rheumatic. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 16 Oct. 2022 Plus, the swimmers who suffered from rheumatic diseases like arthritis or fibromyalgia reported pain relief. Brianna Randall, Discover Magazine, 5 Dec. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rheumatic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English rewmatik subject to rheum, from Anglo-French reumatike, from Latin rheumaticus, from Greek rheumatikos, from rheumat-, rheuma

First Known Use

Adjective

1711, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1738, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rheumatic was in 1711

Dictionary Entries Near rheumatic

Cite this Entry

“Rheumatic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rheumatic. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

rheumatic

adjective
rheu·​mat·​ic
ru̇-ˈmat-ik
: of, relating to, characteristic of, or suffering from rheumatism
rheumatically
-ˈmat-i-k(ə-)lē
adverb

Medical Definition

rheumatic

1 of 2 adjective
rheu·​mat·​ic ru̇-ˈmat-ik How to pronounce rheumatic (audio)
: of, relating to, characteristic of, or affected with rheumatism
rheumatic pain
a rheumatic joint

rheumatic

2 of 2 noun
: an individual affected with rheumatism

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