1
2
: a harmful development (as in a social institution)
sees the city's crime as a disease
3
obsolete
: trouble
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
Fox, 64, has worked for decades with Parkinson’s disease, which he was diagnosed with at age 29 in the early 1990s but kept private until 1998.
—
Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 9 Apr. 2026
Fox plays Gerry on the show, a Parkinson’s patient who bonds with Ford’s character Paul, who is also diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
—Alex Cramer, HollywoodReporter, 8 Apr. 2026
Paul, of course, continues to face the reality of his Parkinson’s disease — and that will remain an important part of that character’s journey.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 8 Apr. 2026
Diets high in sodium are known to cause an increase in blood pressure, which also raises the risk of heart disease, gastric cancer, obesity, osteoporosis and kidney disease, according to the World Health Organization.
—Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disease
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Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 9 Apr. 2026
Fox plays Gerry on the show, a Parkinson’s patient who bonds with Ford’s character Paul, who is also diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
—Alex Cramer, HollywoodReporter, 8 Apr. 2026
Paul, of course, continues to face the reality of his Parkinson’s disease — and that will remain an important part of that character’s journey.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 8 Apr. 2026
Diets high in sodium are known to cause an increase in blood pressure, which also raises the risk of heart disease, gastric cancer, obesity, osteoporosis and kidney disease, according to the World Health Organization.
—Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disease
Cite this Entry
“Disease.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disease. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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Medical Definition
disease
noun
dis·ease
diz-ˈēz 
: 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
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