1
a
b
: an unhealthy condition of body or mind
2
Synonyms
Examples of illness in a Sentence
Her body was not able to defend itself against illness.
Hundreds of soldiers died from illness and hunger.
He showed no signs of illness.
Scientists have not yet found a cure for this illness.
cancer, diabetes, and other illnesses
She died at the age of 60 after a brief illness.
Recent Examples on the Web
The odds of getting acutely ill also go up for people with other illnesses.
—
Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY, 18 July 2024
The powerhouse singer frequently made headlines during the run and, in February, had to cancel a few shows due to illness.
—Nardine Saad, Los Angeles Times, 17 July 2024
Fifty years before embarking on his international journey — with a terminal illness and onset of a pandemic both looming — Kristofer is a college dropout looking for a job in the kitchen of a Japanese restaurant in London.
—Kristen Tauer, WWD, 16 July 2024
Douglass Fake, founder of leading movie soundtrack label Intrada and producer of more than 700 albums of movie and TV music, died Saturday at a Richmond, Calif., hospital after a long illness.
—Jon Burlingame, Variety, 16 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for illness 
Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY, 18 July 2024
The powerhouse singer frequently made headlines during the run and, in February, had to cancel a few shows due to illness.
—Nardine Saad, Los Angeles Times, 17 July 2024
Fifty years before embarking on his international journey — with a terminal illness and onset of a pandemic both looming — Kristofer is a college dropout looking for a job in the kitchen of a Japanese restaurant in London.
—Kristen Tauer, WWD, 16 July 2024
Douglass Fake, founder of leading movie soundtrack label Intrada and producer of more than 700 albums of movie and TV music, died Saturday at a Richmond, Calif., hospital after a long illness.
—Jon Burlingame, Variety, 16 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for illness
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'illness.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near illness
Cite this Entry
“Illness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/illness. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
illness
noun
ill·ness
ˈil-nəs 
1
: an unhealthy condition of body or mind
2
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share