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

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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

As with disease, poverty is being eradicated not through technological miracles but basic rules of growth: Invest more in your human and physical capital, open yourself to markets and trade—that’s right, globalization is good—and incomes will rise. — Greg Ip, WSJ, "The World Is Getting Quietly, Relentlessly Better," 2 Jan. 2019 The couples were recruited through an AIDS advocacy group called Baihualin, which works against societal discrimination of those infected with the disease. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Chinese Researcher Claims to Have Used CRISPR to Genetically Alter Twins," 26 Nov. 2018 Another that Sommers worked on showed that Medicaid actually saved lives for among patients with kidney disease who are starting dialysis. — Sarah Kliff, Vox, "Idaho, Nebraska, and Utah vote to expand Medicaid," 7 Nov. 2018 Since then, two of my aunts have also been diagnosed with the deadly disease. — Anna Moeslein, Glamour, "How I Prepared Myself to Have a Preventive Double Mastectomy," 29 Oct. 2018 The royal is an outspoken advocate for scoliosis awareness and recently posted X-rays on her instagram to share her journey with the disease. — Sally Holmes, Marie Claire, "Why Princess Eugenie Didn't Wear a Veil for Her Royal Wedding," 12 Oct. 2018 This publicly challenged the notion that HIV/AIDS was passed from person to person by touch and highlighted Diana's affection and compassion for people living with the disease. — Katie Frost, Harper's BAZAAR, "9 Reasons Princess Diana Was So Much More Than A Style Icon," 31 Aug. 2018 Marquette women's basketball forward Tori McCoy was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease in December. — Ben Steele, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Marquette women's basketball player Tori McCoy is seeking a kidney donation," 12 July 2018 But treatments can relieve pain and help prevent problems associated with the disease. — Andrea K. Mcdaniels, baltimoresun.com, "Howard County family provides support for sickle cell disease patients," 11 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

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Last Updated

11 Jan 2019

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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