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

Most 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

More than 2,200 local doctors had voluntarily provided free care to uninsured patients, including surgery, chemotherapy and chronic disease management.

—The Dallas Morning News

Examples of chronic disease in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The leaner dogs also had delayed onset of chronic disease and less severe osteoarthritis. — Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Oct. 2026

Endometriosis, a chronic disease that causes pelvic pain, affects 1 in 10 women. — Hannah Singleton, Time, 15 Oct. 2026

Jackie also showed signs of chronic disease involving the ventriculus, also known as the gizzard. — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026

Some children will run around and be physically active, which helps meet the CDC’s recommendation of 60 minutes of physical activity per day and reduces the risk of chronic disease. — Rachel Deitch, Baltimore Sun, 12 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1662, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for chronic disease

• actuaries
• analyses
• anopheles
• antitheses
• apostrophes
• appendices
• catalyses
• distributees
• examinees
• hypotheses
• interviewees
• isosceles

Medical 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