1
2
: a harmful development (as in a social institution)
sees the city's crime as a disease
3
obsolete
: trouble
Examples of disease in a Sentence
He suffers from a rare genetic disease.
a disease of the mind
Thousands die of heart disease each year.
They are working to stop the spread of disease in rural areas.
The article cites intolerance as one of the most dangerous of society's diseases.
He sees crime as a disease that too often plagues the poor and disadvantaged.
Recent Examples on the Web
Dane was diagnosed last April with ALS, a disease that attacks nerves in the brain and spinal cord, stealing a person's ability to walk, breathe and often speak.
—
Brittney Melton, NPR, 18 Mar. 2026
There is enormous pressure on these companies to optimize AI to make money in the short term by convincing people to use it, rather than advance science or cure disease in the long term, and to create systems that entirely replace workers rather than merely help them.
—J. Xavier Prochaska, Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2026
Multiple sites in Southern California are currently looking to enroll patients in this trial who are aged 50-89 and experiencing mild memory concerns, or previously diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment or mild Alzheimer’s disease.
—Benfoteam, Daily News, 18 Mar. 2026
As many as three of every 1,000 children infected with the disease die, according to the CDC.
—Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disease
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Brittney Melton, NPR, 18 Mar. 2026
There is enormous pressure on these companies to optimize AI to make money in the short term by convincing people to use it, rather than advance science or cure disease in the long term, and to create systems that entirely replace workers rather than merely help them.
—J. Xavier Prochaska, Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2026
Multiple sites in Southern California are currently looking to enroll patients in this trial who are aged 50-89 and experiencing mild memory concerns, or previously diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment or mild Alzheimer’s disease.
—Benfoteam, Daily News, 18 Mar. 2026
As many as three of every 1,000 children infected with the disease die, according to the CDC.
—Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disease
Cite this Entry
“Disease.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disease. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.
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Medical Definition
disease
noun
dis·ease
diz-ˈēz 
: an impairment of the normal state of the living animal or plant body or one of its parts that interrupts or modifies the performance of the vital functions, is typically manifested by distinguishing signs and symptoms, and is a response to environmental factors (as malnutrition, industrial hazards, or climate), to specific infective agents (as worms, bacteria, or viruses), to inherent defects of the organism (as genetic anomalies), or to combinations of these factors : sickness, illness
called also morbus
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
