disease

noun dis·ease \ di-ˈzēz \

Updated on: 9 Mar 2018

Definition of disease

1 : a condition of the living animal or plant body or of one of its parts that impairs normal functioning and is typically manifested by distinguishing signs and symptoms : sickness, malady

infectious diseases

a rare genetic disease

heart disease

2 : a harmful development (as in a social institution)

sees the city's crime as a disease

3 obsolete : trouble

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diseased

play \-ˈzēzd\ adjective

See disease defined for English-language learners

See disease defined for kids

Examples of disease in a Sentence

He suffers from a rare genetic disease.
a disease of the mind
Thousands die of heart disease each year.
They are working to stop the spread of disease in rural areas.
The article cites intolerance as one of the most dangerous of society's diseases.
He sees crime as a disease that too often plagues the poor and disadvantaged.

Recent Examples of disease from the Web

He had been diagnosed with a disease that has no cure and little treatment.

— amanda walker, AL.com, "What does pretty look like?," 6 Mar. 2018
The series explored the immense challenges Nora has faced in her young life, including living with a form of bone disease.

— mark katches, OregonLive.com, "Series about Nora the polar bear wins Scripps Howard Award," 6 Mar. 2018
Instead of discussing the condition as one would address diabetes—as a long-term, treatable disease that affects our bodies and lifestyle choices—the court system and general public routinely cast judgment.

— ivana rihter, Vogue, "It’s Time to Talk About the Opioid Crisis as a Women’s Health Issue," 6 Mar. 2018
Geneticist Peter Visscher of the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, tells Kaiser the data Erlich's team complied does have the potential to provide insight into the role genetics on diseases if the data is linked to health information.

— julissa treviño, Smithsonian, "This May Be the World’s Largest Family Tree," 5 Mar. 2018
The film connects black Americans to a continent that has ben positioned as mysterious, disease-infested and dark to the Western world.

— erica ayisi, The Root, "Make Wakanda Real by Embracing Your African Roots," 5 Mar. 2018
Chronic diseases are also harder for the homeless to manage.

— chicagotribune.com, "Flu, crowded shelters create perfect storm for homeless," 5 Mar. 2018
Hemophilia is one those diseases that helps explain its burgeoning cost.

— barbara feder ostrov, latimes.com, "Case of the $21-million Medicaid patient shows how drug prices soar for rare diseases," 5 Mar. 2018
People with chronic liver disease or a clotting-factor disorder.

— beth warren, The Courier-Journal, "How to avoid getting hepatitis A amid Louisville's outbreak," 5 Mar. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of disease

Middle English disese, from Anglo-French desease, desaise, from des- dis- + eise ease

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

disease Synonyms

Other Medicine Terms

analgesia, angina, diabetes, hepatitis, homeopathy, logorrhea, palliate, pandemic

DISEASE Defined for English Language Learners

disease

noun

Definition of disease for English Language Learners

: an illness that affects a person, animal, or plant : a condition that prevents the body or mind from working normally
: a problem that a person, group, organization, or society has and cannot stop

DISEASE Defined for Kids

disease

noun dis·ease \ di-ˈzēz \

Definition of disease for Students

: a change in a living body (as of a person or plant) that prevents it from functioning normally : sickness

Medical Dictionary

disease

noun dis·ease \ diz-ˈēz \

medical Definition of disease

: an impairment of the normal state of the living animal or plant body or one of its parts that interrupts or modifies the performance of the vital functions, is typically manifested by distinguishing signs and symptoms, and is a response to environmental factors (as malnutrition, industrial hazards, or climate), to specific infective agents (as worms, bacteria, or viruses), to inherent defects of the organism (as genetic anomalies), or to combinations of these factors : sickness, illness — called also morbus; compare health 1

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