disease

noun

dis·ease | \ di-ˈzēz

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

Other Words from disease Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about disease

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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 on the Web

The development of coronary care units promises a profound change in the treatment of patients with coronary artery disease. — Daniel C. Schlenoff, Scientific American, "“Foul Treachery” of Trotsky and Lenin in 1918; Phineas Gage’s Brain in 1868," 13 July 2018 For drugs to treat diseases such as smallpox, which cannot ethically be tested in people by infecting them on purpose, the FDA has special rules. — NBC News, "Now there's a drug to treat smallpox, just in case," 13 July 2018 The cinematic depiction of people with disabilities and diseases comes with various potential pitfalls (more on that later), the risk of overfamiliarity and cliché not least among them. — Justin Chang, latimes.com, "Review: Joaquin Phoenix stars in the captivating addiction drama 'Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot'," 12 July 2018 The two would go on to discover Vitamin B, which prevents the disease beriberi, a cause of nerve inflammation and heart failure. — Mark Johnson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "UW scientific advances include vitamins, growing human embryonic stem cells in lab," 12 July 2018 Air pollution has long been widely known to pose a health threat: Consequences include asthma and other lung problems, and within the last decade, air pollution has been found to increase the risk for heart and kidney disease. — Hannah Holzer, sacbee, "Air pollution increases risk for type 2 diabetes, study finds," 12 July 2018 Just a jog or a jump can ignite knee pain for Sydney Meilstrup. Sydney, 14, who is about to enter ninth grade at Severna Park High School, has been diagnosed with Osgood-Schlatter disease — common in growing children — since last September. — Reema Amin, baltimoresun.com, "Anne Arundel summer dance program conveys confidence as well as technique," 11 July 2018 Learn better ways to better cope with lung disease while getting the support of others in similar situations. — Mary Lou Cruz, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Coral Springs and Coconut Creek area events, July 11-21," 10 July 2018 And on top of the chemicals and heavy metals, Legionnaires disease was discovered. — Richard Horan, The Christian Science Monitor, "'The Poisoned City' tells the horrific story of Flint's contaminated water," 10 July 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.

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Dictionary Entries near disease

Phrases Related to disease

sexually transmitted disease

Statistics for disease

Last Updated

20 Sep 2018

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Time Traveler for disease

The first known use of disease was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for disease

disease

noun

English Language Learners Definition of disease

: 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

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

disease

noun

dis·ease | \ di-ˈzēz

Kids Definition of disease

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

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 sense 1