arrhythmia

noun

ar·​rhyth·​mia ā-ˈrit͟h-mē-ə 

: an alteration in rhythm of the heartbeat either in time or force

Examples of arrhythmia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Heart disease is a broad term that encompasses all the disorders that affect the heart’s function and structure, from coronary artery disease (CAD) to congenital heart disease (CHD) to arrhythmias, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. —Caroline C. Boyle, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025

An electrical charge entering the body can cause internal injury including cardiac arrest or arrhythmia. —Bay Area News Group, Mercury News, 23 Sep. 2025

That was the morning her pacemaker detected the arrhythmia, an irregular heartbeat. —Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 17 Sep. 2025

Researchers from Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark followed 1,200 patients at high risk for ventricular arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms) who already had tiny implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) in their chests. —Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 9 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Greek arrhythmía "lack of rhythm," from árrhythmos "lacking rhythm, unrhythmical" + -ia -ia entry 1 — more at arrhythmic

First Known Use

circa 1860, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing arrhythmia

• anti-arrhythmia

Medical Definition

arrhythmia

noun

ar·​rhyth·​mia ā-ˈrit͟h-mē-ə 

: an alteration in rhythm of the heartbeat either in time or force