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
In one study of dogs with osteoarthritis, owners reported improvement roughly 57% of the time for animals receiving only a placebo.
—
Phil Starks, The Conversation, 21 Apr. 2026
Reducing ultraprocessed food consumption may help to preserve muscle quality, which in turn could alleviate the burden of knee osteoarthritis, according to the researchers.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 17 Apr. 2026
Treating these small injuries, often caused by sports injuries, can stop the progression toward osteoarthritis, the debilitating condition that occurs when cartilage wears away, causing severe pain and inflammation in the joints.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
Another limitation of the study is that the results applied only to a very specific population (older adults who are overweight at high risk for osteoarthritis), Davy points out.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for osteoarthritis
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.
Phil Starks, The Conversation, 21 Apr. 2026
Reducing ultraprocessed food consumption may help to preserve muscle quality, which in turn could alleviate the burden of knee osteoarthritis, according to the researchers.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 17 Apr. 2026
Treating these small injuries, often caused by sports injuries, can stop the progression toward osteoarthritis, the debilitating condition that occurs when cartilage wears away, causing severe pain and inflammation in the joints.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
Another limitation of the study is that the results applied only to a very specific population (older adults who are overweight at high risk for osteoarthritis), Davy points out.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 14 Apr. 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 26 Apr. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
