Definition of disease
1 obsolete : trouble
2 : 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
3 : a harmful development (as in a social institution) sees the city's crime as a disease
Explore M-W
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
-
Maternal death — historically a leading cause of mortality for women — remains a concern today, and cardiovascular diseases are the top culprit.
-
Rumors spread, suggesting that white girls would contract venereal diseases by sharing toilet seats with their black classmates.
-
Demiris originally considered traditional technology for monitoring vital signs or catching symptoms of chronic disease.
-
The best reports show at least 110 died of disease, 24 were killed in action, 13 died of wounds, one drowned in the Mississippi and one was accidentally shot, and more than 500 Civil War veterans are buried in Porter County, Pazour said.
-
And just like a pharmaceutical company that doesn’t want to cure diseases when managing them is so profitable, their top priority is never bringing the war to an end, but maintaining and expanding their power within the country.
-
Besides its application in pain relief, scientists are studying its potential to treat a range of conditions from autism and opiate addiction to Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia.
-
These lab partnerships are critical since PNH and aHUS are life-threatening, ultra-rare diseases with low awareness …
-
Some research has indicated that reducing blood pressure lessens the symptoms of the disease.
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
First Known Use: 14th century
DISEASE Defined for English Language Learners
disease
playDefinition 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
Medical Dictionary
disease
playMedical 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
Learn More about disease
-
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for disease Spanish Central: Translation of disease Nglish: Translation of disease for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of disease for Arabic speakers
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up disease? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!