affliction

noun af·flic·tion \ ə-ˈflik-shən \

|Updated on: 18 Jun 2018

Examples: affliction in a Sentence

Definition of affliction

1 : a cause of persistent pain or distress

a mysterious affliction

2 : great suffering

felt empathy with their affliction

3 : the state of being afflicted by something that causes suffering

her affliction with polio

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Examples of affliction in a Sentence

She lost her sight and is now learning to live with her affliction.
He died from a mysterious affliction.

Recent Examples of affliction from the Web

Desikan already has made big contributions to the understanding of ALS, Alzheimer’s and other afflictions.

— laurie mcginley, Washington Post, "Devastated by ALS, trying to save others," 13 June 2018
The big enemy for O’Rourke is hopelessness, the chronic affliction that infects Texas Democrats as soon as the leaves start falling from the trees in even-numbered years.

— gilbert garcia, San Antonio Express-News, "New poll helps both O’Rourke and Cruz," 19 Apr. 2018
In the 19th century, migraine was considered to be a psychosomatic illness, along with other afflictions suffered principally by women.

— r. allan purdy, Scientific American, "Can Anything Stop My Migraine?," 1 May 2017
Yes, my affliction is twofold: a whole lot of heartbreak and a good dose of existential crisis.

— ginny brzezinski /, NBC News, "Handling empty nest syndrome," 1 June 2018
But a new study suggests early feathered dinos suffered from a familiar affliction: dandruff.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "Dinosaurs Had Dandruff, Too," 30 May 2018
Now, a team of chemists from the University of Florence has developed a new treatment for the sticky affliction that's safe for humans and doesn't damage the art.

— National Geographic, "Tape Is Ruining Priceless Art. This New Gel Can Fix It.," 23 May 2018
Teichtal, who was imprisoned by the Nazis, wrote that the afflictions that were befalling the Jewish population of Europe during World War II were meant to spur a return by Jews to the Holy Land.

— matt korade, CNN, "Controversial US pastors to take part in embassy opening in Jerusalem," 13 May 2018
But the affliction has also been with us for millennia.

— moises velasquez-manoff, WIRED, "Ketamine Stirs Up Hope—and Controversy—as a Depression Drug," 8 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'affliction.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of affliction

Middle English affliccioun "misery, distress, self-inflicted pain," borrowed from Anglo-French afflicion, borrowed from Late Latin afflīctiōn-, afflīctiō, from Latin afflīgere "to afflict" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of action nouns

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First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 3

See Words from the same year