osteoarthritis
noun
os·te·o·ar·thri·tis
ˌä-stē-ō-är-ˈthrī-təs 
: a common form of arthritis typically with onset during middle or old age that is characterized by progressive degenerative changes in the cartilage of one or more joints (as of the knees, hips, and hands) accompanied by thickening and overgrowth of adjacent bone and that is marked symptomatically chiefly by stiffness, swelling, pain, deformation of joints, and loss of range of motion
—abbreviation OA
compare rheumatoid arthritis
Examples of osteoarthritis in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Hip osteoarthritis, a common cause of hip pain, affects about one in four people under the age of 85.
—
Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 29 May 2026
Achari adds that there is reasonable evidence for improvements in joints, particularly in cases of mild osteoarthritis and exercise-related joint discomfort.
—Taylor Lane, Flow Space, 29 May 2026
Research indicates that nearly 530 million people worldwide are impacted by osteoarthritis.
—Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Shera had previously been diagnosed with osteoarthritis, a degenerative disease affecting joint cartilage and the underlying bone that causes pain and stiffness, the zoo said.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 8 May 2026
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Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 29 May 2026
Achari adds that there is reasonable evidence for improvements in joints, particularly in cases of mild osteoarthritis and exercise-related joint discomfort.
—Taylor Lane, Flow Space, 29 May 2026
Research indicates that nearly 530 million people worldwide are impacted by osteoarthritis.
—Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Shera had previously been diagnosed with osteoarthritis, a degenerative disease affecting joint cartilage and the underlying bone that causes pain and stiffness, the zoo said.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for osteoarthritis
Cite this Entry
“Osteoarthritis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/osteoarthritis. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
osteoarthritis
noun
os·teo·ar·thri·tis
ˌäs-tē-ō-är-ˈthrīt-əs
plural osteoarthritides
-ˈthrit-ə-ˌdēz
: a common form of arthritis typically with onset during middle or old age that is characterized by progressive degenerative changes in the cartilage of one or more joints (as of the knees, hips, and hands) accompanied by thickening and overgrowth of adjacent bone and that is marked symptomatically chiefly by stiffness, swelling, pain, deformation of joints, and loss of range of motion
—abbreviation OA
called also degenerative arthritis, degenerative joint disease, hypertrophic arthritis
compare rheumatoid arthritis
osteoarthritic
adjective
Treatment for hand and finger osteoarthritis has the same goals as treatment for any osteoarthritic joint: pain reduction, mobility maintenance and minimization of disability.
—Paul G. Donohue, The Springfield (Massachusetts) Union-News
Paul G. Donohue, The Springfield (Massachusetts) Union-News
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