chronic disease
noun
plural chronic diseases
: a disease (such as asthma, coronary heart disease, or diabetes) that continues or occurs again and again for a long time : a medical condition of prolonged duration
… childhood obesity that too often leads to chronic diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure.—
Akiba Solomon
Akiba SolomonMost oncologists are reluctant to use the word "cure," and tend to speak of cancer as a chronic disease. The goal of treatment is remission, a state in which the cancer can't be detected.—Sallie Tisdale
Sallie TisdaleMore than 2,200 local doctors had voluntarily provided free care to uninsured patients, including surgery, chemotherapy and chronic disease management.—The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning NewsExamples of chronic disease in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Since inflammation increases the risk of chronic diseases, consider an anti-inflammatory diet.
—Cristina Mutchler, Verywell Health, 17 Feb. 2026
Analysts expect the patient-monitoring device market to grow at a high single-digit to low double-digit pace through the early 2030s, driven by aging populations and rising rates of chronic disease.
—Bloomberg, Oc Register, 17 Feb. 2026
Energy-dense, highly palatable, rapidly absorbable, ultraprocessed foods that have altered our metabolism and have resulted in the greatest increase in chronic disease in our history.
—Sarah Koch, CBS News, 16 Feb. 2026
Nutrition and chronic disease prevention cannot be overlooked either.
—Sreedhar Potarazu, Baltimore Sun, 15 Feb. 2026
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Cristina Mutchler, Verywell Health, 17 Feb. 2026
Analysts expect the patient-monitoring device market to grow at a high single-digit to low double-digit pace through the early 2030s, driven by aging populations and rising rates of chronic disease.
—Bloomberg, Oc Register, 17 Feb. 2026
Energy-dense, highly palatable, rapidly absorbable, ultraprocessed foods that have altered our metabolism and have resulted in the greatest increase in chronic disease in our history.
—Sarah Koch, CBS News, 16 Feb. 2026
Nutrition and chronic disease prevention cannot be overlooked either.
—Sreedhar Potarazu, Baltimore Sun, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for chronic disease
Cite this Entry
“Chronic disease.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chronic%20disease. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
chronic disease
noun
: a disease (such as asthma, coronary heart disease, or diabetes) that continues or occurs again and again for a long time : a medical condition of prolonged duration
Millions suffer from debilitating chronic disease caused by smoking. It is a major risk factor in cardiovascular disease, chronic bronchitis and emphysema …—Phil Gunby, The Journal of the American Medical Association
Phil Gunby, The Journal of the American Medical AssociationLove words? Need even more definitions?
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