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Definition of health
1a : the condition of being sound in body, mind, or spirit She is the picture of health. especially : freedom from physical disease or pain nursed them back to health
b : the general condition of the body How is your mother's health? in poor health enjoys good health
2a : a condition in which someone or something is thriving or doing well : well-being defending the health of the beloved oceans —Peter Wilkinson
b : general condition or state poor economic health
3 : a toast to someone's health or prosperity
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Synonyms & Antonyms for health
Synonyms
fitness, healthiness, heartiness, robustness, sap, soundness, wellness, wholeness, wholesomeness
Antonyms
illness, sickness, unhealthiness, unsoundness
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Examples of health in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Services will include gastroenterology, orthopedic surgery, plastic and reconstructive surgery, podiatry, urology, sports health, hand surgery, gynecology and breast surgery. — Ron Hurtibise, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Cleveland Clinic readies new $53 million Coral Springs Family Health Center," 13 July 2018 The House committee fight was over amendments to a massive spending bill financing health, education and labor programs, a perpetually controversial measure that gets delayed every year. — CBS News, "Push by liberal Democrats’ to abolish ICE delights GOP," 13 July 2018 Recently, researchers have used a smaller version of the scanner in studies of cancer, bone and joint health, with positive results. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "Check Out These Awesome New 3D, Full-Color X-Rays," 13 July 2018 The training, called I Care, aims to give students, faculty, and staff the skills to recognize and support students experiencing mental-health problems. — Aneri Pattani, chicagotribune.com, "College students train to help peers at risk for suicide, depression and more," 12 July 2018 His defense lawyers have admitted Cruz is guilty, and are hoping the details of his long-running mental-health woes may one day save him from Death Row. — Nicholas Nehamas And David Ovalle, miamiherald, "‘I can go shoot them.’ Another threat from Parkland school shooter went ignored.," 11 July 2018 Demand for mental-health services on college campuses has surged in recent years and, as local campuses understand all too well, suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students. — Aubrey Nagle, Philly.com, "Local Dems oppose SCOTUS pick, school board hosts first public meeting | Morning Newsletter," 10 July 2018 Westerners say the Interior Department’s new energy commitment risks not only the health of the greater sage-grouse, but also the largest land conservation effort in US history. — Story Hinckley, The Christian Science Monitor, "Group effort rules the roost in Wyoming, then Washington intervenes," 10 July 2018 Kazen had spent the previous nine years handling the county’s mental-health docket. — Gilbert Garcia, San Antonio Express-News, "Probate Court judge once again faces ethics questions," 3 July 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'health.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
Where Does 'Hello' Come From?
Where Does 'Hello' Come From?
Don't answer the phone with 'ahoy'
Dictionary Entries near health
Phrases Related to health
Statistics for health
Last Updated
22 Sep 2018
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for health
The first known use of health was before the 12th century
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More Definitions for health
health
noun
English Language Learners Definition of health
: the condition of being well or free from disease
: the overall condition of someone's body or mind
: the condition or state of something
See the full definition for health in the English Language Learners Dictionary
health
noun
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Kids Definition of health
1 : the condition of being free from illness or disease
2 : the overall condition of the body He is in good health.
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Medical Definition of health
1 : the condition of an organism or one of its parts in which it performs its vital functions normally or properly : the state of being sound in body or mind dental health mental health especially : freedom from physical disease and pain nursed him back to health — compare disease
2 : the condition of an organism with respect to the performance of its vital functions especially as evaluated subjectively or nonprofessionally how is your health today
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