chronic

adjective

chron·​ic ˈkrä-nik 

1

a

: continuing or occurring again and again for a long time

chronic pain

chronic illness

chronic experiments

see also chronic disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, chronic wasting disease

b

: being, providing, or requiring long-term medical care (as for a chronic disease)

chronic medical care

the special needs of chronic patients

2

a

: always present or encountered

especially : constantly vexing, weakening, or troubling

chronic petty warfare

… chronic meddling in one another's domestic affairs …

—Amatzia Baram

b

: being such habitually

a chronic grumbler

chronic noun

plural chronics

Apart from the lady with the sore throat, there were four more new visits, several follow-up calls, and the endless list of chronics.

—Elizabeth Scott

chronically

ˈkrä-ni-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

She is chronically ill.

people who are chronically late

The schools are chronically short of funds.

Synonyms of chronic

• persistent
• serial
• habitual
• inveterate
• regular
• steady
• stubborn
• addicted

Choose the Right Synonym for chronic

inveterate, confirmed, chronic mean firmly established.

inveterate applies to a habit, attitude, or feeling of such long existence as to be practically ineradicable or unalterable.

an inveterate smoker

confirmed implies a growing stronger and firmer with time so as to resist change or reform.

a confirmed bachelor

chronic suggests something that is persistent or endlessly recurrent and troublesome.

a chronic complainer

Examples of chronic in a Sentence

He suffers from chronic arthritis.

a chronic need for attention

Inflation has become a chronic condition in the economy.

Don't bother seeing that film—it's chronic.

Recent Examples on the Web

According to the outlet, the team of researchers believe that the royal's death began with a chronic skin disease called chromoblastomycosis, which is in an infection under the skin cause by fungi, per the World Health Organization. —Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 9 Dec. 2025

Ham is a favorite addition to sandwiches and holiday meals, but consuming it frequently may increase your risk for certain chronic health conditions. —Carrie Madormo, Verywell Health, 9 Dec. 2025

Both raw and powdered turmeric contain antioxidants that help repair cell damage and combat chronic inflammation, but experts say powdered turmeric comes out on top for its higher concentration of these beneficial compounds. —Sarah Garone, Health, 9 Dec. 2025

This can include workplace exposure, such as those who work in agriculture and are exposed to pesticides, or those exposed to chronic, high heat. —Jillian Pretzel, Parents, 9 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French chronique, going back to Middle French, borrowed from Late Latin chronicus, going back to Latin, "written in the form of annals," borrowed from Greek chronikós "of time, temporal, in order by time," from chrónos "time" + -ikos -ic entry 1 — more at chrono-

Note: Latin chronicus was used by medical writers (as Caelius Aurelianus, ca. early 5th century a.d.) to translate Greek chrónios "occurring again and again," used by Greek medical writers, though Greek chronikós, the source of chronicus, lacks this sense.

First Known Use

1601, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing chronic

• chronic disease
• chronic fatigue syndrome
• chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• chronic traumatic encephalopathy
• chronic wasting disease

Rhymes for chronic

• clonic
• conic
• phonic
• sonic
• tonic
• anharmonic
• anionic
• avionic
• catatonic
• cationic
• chorionic
• cosmogonic

Kids Definition

chronic

adjective

chron·​ic ˈkrän-ik 

1

: continuing or occurring again and again for a long time

a chronic disease

2

: habitual sense 2

a chronic complainer

chronically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Etymology

from French chronique "chronic," from Greek chronikos "of time," from chronos "time" — related to anachronism, chronicle, synchronous

Medical Definition

chronic

1 of 2 adjective

chron·​ic ˈkrän-ik 

variants also chronical

-i-kəl 

1

a

: marked by long duration, by frequent recurrence over a long time, and often by slowly progressing seriousness : not acute

chronic indigestion

Her symptoms became chronic.

see also chronic disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic traumatic encephalopathy

b

: being, providing, or requiring long-term medical care (as for a chronic disease)

chronic care facilities

chronic treatment with antidiabetic medication

2

a

: having a slow progressive course of indefinite duration

chronic heart disease

chronic arthritis

chronic tuberculosis

compare acute sense 2b(1)

b

: infected with a disease-causing agent (as a virus) and remaining infectious over a long period of time but not necessarily expressing symptoms

chronic carriers of hepatitis B

chronically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

chronically ill patients

chronic

2 of 2 noun

: one that suffers from a chronic disease