osteoporosis

noun

os·​te·​o·​po·​ro·​sis ˌä-stē-ō-pə-ˈrō-səs 

plural osteoporoses ˌä-stē-ō-pə-ˈrō-ˌsēz 

: a condition that affects especially older women and is characterized by decrease in bone mass with decreased density and enlargement of bone spaces producing porosity and fragility

osteoporotic

ˌä-stē-ō-pə-ˈrä-tik 

adjective

Examples of osteoporosis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That’s why researchers are now focused on perimenopause as a prevention window rather than waiting until osteoporosis has already taken hold. —Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 4 June 2026

What makes the risk especially easy to miss is that osteoporosis typically produces no symptoms until a fracture happens. —Allison Palmer june 4, Miami Herald, 4 June 2026

Osteopenia, the stage before osteoporosis, is where the most intervention opportunity lives. —Allison Palmer updated June 3, Charlotte Observer, 3 June 2026

Some people with indolent systemic mastocytosis (ISM) lose bone tissue, developing osteoporosis or osteopenia. —Ruth Jessen Hickman, Health, 1 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from oste- + porosis rarefaction, from porus pore + -osis

First Known Use

1841, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for osteoporosis

• amyloidosis
• anaplasmosis
• anastomosis
• aponeurosis
• apotheosis
• aspergillosis
• blastomycosis
• coccidiosis
• cryptococcosis
• cysticercosis
• endocytosis
• exocytosis

Kids Definition

osteoporosis

noun

os·​te·​o·​po·​ro·​sis ˌäs-tē-ō-pə-ˈrō-səs 

: a condition affecting especially older women that is characterized by weak bones that are easily broken

Medical Definition

osteoporosis

noun

os·​teo·​po·​ro·​sis ˌäs-tē-ō-pə-ˈrō-səs 

plural osteoporoses -ˌsēz 

: a condition that affects especially older women and is characterized by decrease in bone mass with decreased density and enlargement of bone spaces producing porosity and brittleness

osteoporotic

-ˈrät-ik 

adjective