cure

verb

cured; curing

transitive verb

1

a

: to restore to health, soundness, or normality

cured him of a rare blood disease

b

: to bring about recovery from

cure a disease

2

a

: to deal with in a way that eliminates or rectifies

… his small size, which time would cure for him …

—William Faulkner

b

: to free from something objectionable or harmful

trying to cure him of a bad habit

3

: to prepare or alter especially by chemical or physical processing for keeping or use

fish cured with salt

intransitive verb

1

a

: to undergo a curing process

The hay is curing in the sun.

b

: set sense 11

Cement cures rapidly.

2

: to effect a cure

a potion guaranteed to cure

curer noun

Did you know?

What is the origin of cure?

In Latin the noun cura had the general sense of “the care, concern, or attention given to something or someone.” It might refer to “medical care or healing.” Christians, however, used the word chiefly in regard to “the care of souls,” since that was one of their main concerns. The word passed into French as cure and then into English with this spiritual sense. The English noun curate, meaning “one who takes care of souls, a member of the clergy,” developed from this sense. Later the medical senses of cure became more common.

Synonyms of cure

• heal
• remedy
• alleviate
• relieve

Examples of cure in a Sentence

The infection can be cured with antibiotics.

She was cured of any illusions she had about college after her first semester.

My wife cured me of most of my bad habits.

Recent Examples on the Web

But unfortunately, Rivers was also a man of his times in the belief that sending the men back to the front when cured was the optimal result. —The Know, Denver Post, 7 June 2026

Its rigorous, three-day prep includes being cured, poached, and roasted, guaranteeing one extremely juicy bird. —Jessi Roti, Bon Appetit Magazine, 5 June 2026

Autoclave technology takes pre-impregnated carbon-fiber shapes and then cures them under high pressure and temperature to deliver maximum structural rigidity and weight savings. —Jerry Perez, The Drive, 4 June 2026

The administration has insisted people who have Ebola or are at high risk of having been infected will not be allowed into the United States until they have been cured or have gone through quarantine for the 21-day incubation period. —Helen Branswell, STAT, 4 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English curen "to attend to, be responsible for, restore to health," borrowed from Anglo-French curer, going back to Latin cūrāre "to watch over, attend, treat (sick persons), restore to health" (Medieval Latin, "to have spiritual charge of"), derivative of cūra "care, attention, treatment, cure" — more at cure entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing cure

• an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
• cure-all
• prevention is better than cure

Rhymes for cure

• boor
• cour
• jure
• lure
• moor
• pure
• spoor
• sure
• tour
• abjure
• adjure
• allure

Kids Definition

cure

1 of 2 noun

ˈkyu̇(ə)r 

1

a

: recovery or relief from a disease

b

: something that cures a disease : remedy

c

: a method or period of medical treatment

2

: something that corrects or heals a bad situation

a cure for unemployment

cure

2 of 2 verb

cured; curing

1

a

: to make or become healthy or sound again

b

: to bring about recovery from

2

: remedy entry 2

3

a

: to prepare by a chemical or physical process for use or storage

cure bacon

b

: to go through a curing process

hay curing in the sun

curer noun

Etymology

Middle English cure "care of souls," from early French cure (same meaning), from Latin cura "spiritual charge of souls," from earlier cura "care, healing" — related to accurate, curate, curious, secure

Word Origin

In Latin the noun cura had the general sense of "the care, concern, or attention given to something or someone." Often it referred to "medical care or healing." The Roman Christians, however, used the word chiefly in regard to "the care of souls," since that was one of their main concerns. The word passed into French as cure and then into English with this spiritual sense. Later the medical senses of cure became more common. Latin cura was also the basis for the verb accurare, meaning "to take care of." This verb became the source of our word accurate, which at first meant "done with care."

Medical Definition

cure

1 of 2 noun

ˈkyu̇(ə)r 

1

: recovery from a disease

his cure was complete

also : remission of signs or symptoms of a disease especially during a prolonged period of observation

a clinical cure

5-year cure of cancer

compare arrest entry 2

2

: a drug, treatment, regimen, or other agency that cures a disease

quinine is a cure for malaria

3

: a course or period of treatment

especially : one designed to interrupt an addiction or compulsive habit or to improve general health

take a cure for alcoholism

an annual cure at a spa

4

: spa

5

maritime law : the medical care awarded a person in the merchant marine who is injured or taken sick in the course of duty

cure

2 of 2 verb

cured; curing

transitive verb

: heal:

a

: to restore to health, soundness, or normality

curing her patients rapidly by new procedures

b

: to bring about recovery from

antibiotics cure many formerly intractable infections

intransitive verb

1

: to effect a cure

careful living cures more often than it kills

2

: to take a cure (as in a sanatorium or at a spa)

curer noun

Legal Definition

cure

verb

cured; curing

transitive verb

: to deal with in a way that eliminates or corrects: as

a

: to use judicial procedures to undo (damage to a litigant's case caused by procedural errors made during a trial)

subsequent proceedings cured harm caused by trial court's error in impermissibly allowing…statements of government witness

—National Law Journal

also : to judicially correct or negate (procedural errors)

cure a defect in the pleadings

b

: to correct or make acceptable (a defective performance or delivery under a contract)

the nonconformity would be seasonably cured

—J. J. White and R. S. Summers

c

: to negate (a default by a debtor in bankruptcy) by restoring the debtor and creditor to their positions before the default

intransitive verb

: to eliminate or correct a defect

especially : to correct or make acceptable a defective performance or delivery under a contract

the seller may seasonably notify the buyer of his intention to cure and may then within the contract time make a conforming delivery

—Uniform Commercial Code

curable adjective

curability noun

cure noun