chronic

adjective

chron·ic | \ ˈkrä-nik

Definition of chronic

1a : continuing or occurring again and again for a long time chronic indigestion chronic experiments

b : suffering from a chronic disease the special needs of chronic patients

2a : 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

Other Words from chronic Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about chronic

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Other Words from chronic

chronic noun

chronically \ ˈkrä-ni-k(ə-)lē

\ adverb

chronicity \ krä-ˈni-sə-tē ,

krō- \ noun

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

High users tend to have chronic health conditions or young children and visit the doctor several times a year. — Liz Weston, The Seattle Times, "Liz Weston: How to save money on health care," 22 Oct. 2018 Pharmacology Medicines that treat chronic medical conditions, like epilepsy and Type 2 diabetes, are being explored to mimic fasting. — Mark Barna, Discover Magazine, "Not So Fast," 24 Sep. 2018 This subtype may be associated with chronic exposure to environmental toxins, such as certain metals and mold, but the research is currently inconclusive. — Linda Marsa, Discover Magazine, "A New Treatment for Alzheimer's? It Starts With Lifestyle," 16 Nov. 2018 Those early 1990s tests were part of the Pentagon's plan to develop a more effective nonlethal way to engage a target—an area where the services have experienced chronic shortcomings. — David Hambling, Popular Mechanics, "The Secret History of Plasma Weapons," 14 Nov. 2018 Roughly 64,000 homes—including 12,000 in Miami Beach, a nexus of real estate investment—will face chronic flooding. — Patrick Sisson, Curbed, "Climate change and the coming coastal real estate crash," 16 Oct. 2018 If the virtual doctor suspects anything that requires immediate treatment, like a heart attack, or a chronic health ailment such as diabetes, you may be redirected to the ER or your regular doctor anyway. — Barbara Brody, Woman's Day, "Here's Everything You Need to Know About Telemedicine," 23 Aug. 2018 Newsletter Sign-up The company has said a major focus will be on better managing five chronic conditions: diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, asthma and behavioral health. — Aisha Al-muslim, WSJ, "CVS Completes $70 Billion Acquisition of Aetna," 28 Nov. 2018 Additionally, many studies only look at the short-term evidence which, of course, won’t tell us much about chronic conditions. — Angela Chen, The Verge, "Government bans on pot research have created room for marijuana health hype," 6 Nov. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'chronic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for chronic

chronic

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of chronic

medical : continuing or occurring again and again for a long time

: happening or existing frequently or most of the time

: always or often doing something specified

See the full definition for chronic in the English Language Learners Dictionary

chronic

adjective

chron·ic | \ ˈkrä-nik

Kids Definition of chronic

1 : continuing for a long time or returning often a chronic disease

2 : happening or done frequently or by habit a chronic complainer chronic tardiness

chronic

adjective

chron·ic | \ ˈkrän-ik

variants: also chronical \ -i-kəl

Medical Definition of chronic

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : marked by long duration, by frequent recurrence over a long time, and often by slowly progressing seriousness : not acute chronic indigestion her hallucinations became chronic

b : suffering from a disease or ailment of long duration or frequent recurrence a chronic arthritic chronic sufferers from asthma

2a : having a slow progressive course of indefinite duration —used especially of degenerative invasive diseases, some infections, psychoses, and inflammations chronic heart diseasechronic arthritischronic 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 may remain healthy but still transmit the virus causing hepatitis B

Other Words from chronic

chronically \ -i-k(ə-)lē

\ adverb

chronicity \ krä-ˈnis-ət-ē, krō-

\ noun, plural -ties

chronic

noun

Medical Definition of chronic (Entry 2 of 2)

: one that suffers from a chronic disease