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
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After tracking health outcomes in large populations, telomere length was found to predict patients’ risk of chronic diseases associated with aging.
—Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
Southeast Asia is particularly at risk from rising rates of chronic disease.
—Angelica Ang, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2026
If successful, the technology could simplify treatment for chronic diseases.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 27 Mar. 2026
But these studies will be more difficult because, whereas mouse skin cells regenerate on timescales of days and chronic disease is measured in months or perhaps one to two years, human skin cells do so on the order of several weeks or months, and chronic disease can be lifelong.
—Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 26 Mar. 2026
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Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
Southeast Asia is particularly at risk from rising rates of chronic disease.
—Angelica Ang, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2026
If successful, the technology could simplify treatment for chronic diseases.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 27 Mar. 2026
But these studies will be more difficult because, whereas mouse skin cells regenerate on timescales of days and chronic disease is measured in months or perhaps one to two years, human skin cells do so on the order of several weeks or months, and chronic disease can be lifelong.
—Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 26 Mar. 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 2 Apr. 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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