leukemia

noun

leu·​ke·​mia lü-ˈkē-mē-ə How to pronounce leukemia (audio)
: an acute or chronic disease in humans and other warm-blooded animals characterized by an abnormal increase in the number of white blood cells in the tissues and often in the blood
leukemic adjective or noun

Examples of leukemia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
One early collaboration is particularly dear to the heart of Gopinath, whose interest in personalised medicine grew following his wife’s diagnosis with leukemia. David Prosser, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025 Kidney and renal pelvis cancer and leukemia remained relatively stable among women. Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2025 In 2020, Jennifer died of leukemia, a blood cancer that can be caused by exposure to oil. Jack Brook, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2025 Weinstein is going back on trial in poor health, having undergone major heart surgery and received a leukemia diagnosis in recent months. Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 14 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for leukemia

Word History

Etymology

New Latin

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of leukemia was in 1850

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Cite this Entry

“Leukemia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leukemia. Accessed 28 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

leukemia

noun
leu·​ke·​mia lü-ˈkē-mē-ə How to pronounce leukemia (audio)
: a disease of warm-blooded animals including human beings that is a kind of cancer in which there is an abnormal increase in the number of white blood cells in the tissues and often in the blood
leukemic adjective

Medical Definition

leukemia

noun
leu·​ke·​mia lü-ˈkē-mē-ə How to pronounce leukemia (audio)
variants also leucemia
lü-ˈkē- also lü-ˈsē-
or chiefly British leukaemia also leucaemia
: an acute or chronic disease of unknown cause in humans and other warm-blooded animals that involves the blood-forming organs, is characterized by an abnormal increase in the number of white blood cells in the tissues of the body with or without a corresponding increase of those in the circulating blood, and is classified according to the type of white blood cell most prominently involved see acute lymphoblastic leukemia, acute myelogenous leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, chronic myelogenous leukemia, feline leukemia, lymphoblastic leukemia, lymphocytic leukemia, monocytic leukemia, myelogenous leukemia, promyelocytic leukemia

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