disease

noun dis·ease \ di-ˈzēz \

|Updated on: 12 Jul 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

An additional, smaller waiting room is designated for patients with an infectious disease.

— yadira sanchez olson, Lake County News-Sun, "New county health center in Zion designed to meet 'the unmet needs of patients'," 9 July 2018
During all her struggles with end-stage kidney disease, Perry has managed to capture glimmers of hope.

— deanese williams-harris, chicagotribune.com, "People are using social media to improve their odds of finding organ donors: 'Doing it can save my life'," 6 July 2018
German director Wim Wenders has paid tribute to famed Dutch cinematographer Robby Muller, who died this week at his home in Amsterdam after a long battle with Binswanger's disease.

— scott roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, "Wim Wenders Remembers "Innovative" 'Paris, Texas' Cinematographer Robby Muller," 5 July 2018
About one-third of people with the disease become combative during the course of their illness, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

— jonel aleccia and melissa bailey, USA TODAY, "Unlocked and loaded: Families confront dementia and guns," 1 July 2018
Funds raised help the Lupus Society of Illinois advocate for those with the autoimmune disease and provide services free of charge.

— michelle mullins, Naperville Sun, "Naperville News Digest," 29 June 2018
Gnaidek, who has lost 80 pounds through diet and exercise after being diagnosed with coronary artery disease last year, now walks three miles a day and is scheduled to follow up with cardiac rehabilitation.

— donna vickroy, Daily Southtown, "Want to be a superhero? Know that CPR and AEDs save more lives than capes and masks," 29 June 2018
This is the DRC’s ninth Ebola outbreak; whereas health officials in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia had never dealt with the disease.

— julia belluz, Vox, "Good news: the Ebola outbreak in DRC is contained," 29 June 2018
The Alzheimer’s Association provides many resources on how to travel safely with the disease.

— cassie shortsleeve, Condé Nast Traveler, "What It’s Really Like to Travel With Alzheimer’s," 28 June 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

in the meaning defined at sense 3

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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