\
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
Keep scrolling for more
Synonyms & Antonyms for health
Synonyms
fitness, healthiness, heartiness, robustness, sap, soundness, verdure, wellness, wholeness, wholesomeness
Antonyms
illness, sickness, unhealthiness, unsoundness
Visit the Thesaurus for More
Examples of health in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Christina Animashaun/Vox Anti-vaccine advocates have swayed parents in New York to refuse immunizations for their kids, sparking two of the largest measles outbreaks in the state’s recent history, according to local health officials. — Julia Belluz, Vox, "New York’s Orthodox Jewish community is battling measles outbreaks. Vaccine deniers are to blame.," 9 Nov. 2018 In a statement, federal health officials said the final set of exemptions fulfill a directive from President Trump to root out government rules that infringe on religious freedom. — Michelle Hackman, WSJ, "HHS to Let Some Employers Opt Out of Birth-Control Mandate," 7 Nov. 2018 Between January 2016 and February 2018, health officials kept an eye on 118 specific cases in 18 states. — Beth Mole, Ars Technica, "Drugged puppies blamed for spreading diarrhea superbugs in multi-state outbreak," 21 Sep. 2018 Taoist Tai Chi is a slow and gentle series of movements to promote well-being for all ages and health conditions. — Mary Lou Cruz, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Davie area events July 18-28," 14 July 2018 When one team name made light of the health condition that felled Wayne, an announcer stopped the tournament in its sandy tracks. — Bryce Miller, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Cover your ears: Over-the-Line evolves, but the raunchy team names remain," 14 July 2018 Shortly after the 2016 election, Novartis chief executive Joe Jimenez was looking for a consultant to help understand how the Trump administration would approach health policy. — Ike Swetlitz, STAT, "Novartis needed a consultant. Over dinner, the CEO’s friend called Trump’s lawyer," 13 July 2018 Even after more than a year away from the tour, even after a health scare while having a baby a little more than 10 months ago, Williams is still capable of dominance. — Howard Fendrich, Fox News, "Serena Williams nears 8th Wimbledon title, 24th Slam overall," 13 July 2018 Yet at many departments today, the only time a firefighter’s health is evaluated is when he or she is hired. — Mike Hendricks, kansascity, "Firefighters protect us. Who protects them?," 13 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.
Keep scrolling for more
Learn More about health
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
Statistics for health
Last Updated
17 Nov 2018
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for health
The first known use of health was before the 12th century
Keep scrolling for more
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
\
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.
\
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
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on health
What made you want to look up health? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Difficult Vocab Quiz
-
- Which is a synonym of discomfit?
Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Share health
Resources for health