Definition of illness
2 a
:an unhealthy condition of body or mind
b
:sickness 2
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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 of illness from the Web
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Early detection and prompt treatment can lower the risk of the illnesses becoming a more serious disease.
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Probiotics must be as exactly matched to the illness for which they are prescribed as antibiotics are, Dr. Panigrahi said.
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A report in Medical News Today found the number in pools and hot tubs is increasing, and there were over a thousand cases of illness, hundreds of hospitalizations, and one death reported just in 2011-2012.
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My doctor has diagnosed me as suffering from an illness mentioned in Peter Simple that has not yet become fashionable in America.
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Actual or perceived disability, including mental illness, has thus served as a primary driver of surveillance, policing, and punishment for women and gender-nonconforming people of color throughout US history.
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My mom battled drug addiction and mental illness her entire life.
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Now, any attempt to expand the liberty of insurance companies to discriminate against sick people — or to sell cheap plans that don’t actually protect enrollees against serious illness — appears doomed.
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This new understanding would not only protect people from being denied access to treatment for mental illness but would also protect all of us from harmful manipulations of our neural activity through the misuse of technology.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'illness.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of illness
circa 1500
illness Synonyms
Synonyms
affection, ail, ailment, bug, complaint, complication, condition, disorder, distemper, distemperature, fever, ill, disease, infirmity, malady, sickness, troubleAntonyms
health, wellnessRelated Words
contagion, contagious disease; contagium, infection; attack, bout, fit, spell; debility, decrepitude, feebleness, frailness, lameness, sickliness, unhealthiness, unsoundness, unwellness, weakness; malaise, matter, pip; epidemic, pest, pestilence, plagueNear Antonyms
fitness, healthiness, heartiness, robustness, soundness, wholeness, wholesomeness; fettle, shapeILLNESS Defined for English Language Learners
ILLNESS Defined for Kids
Medical Dictionary
medical Definition of illness
:an unhealthy condition of body or mind :sickness
Learn More about illness
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See words that rhyme with illness Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for illness Spanish Central: Translation of illness Nglish: Translation of illness for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of illness for Arabic speakers
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