rheumatoid arthritis

noun

: a usually chronic autoimmune disease that is characterized especially by pain, stiffness, inflammation, swelling, and sometimes destruction of joints

—abbreviation RA compare osteoarthritis

Examples of rheumatoid arthritis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Previous research has hinted at EBV involvement in multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease, and EBNA2 activity has been detected in the immune cells of people with those conditions. —New Atlas, 21 Nov. 2025

Robinson said a pathway similar to the one described in his new study could also lead to other autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease, but more research is needed to tease that out. —Aria Bendix, NBC news, 13 Nov. 2025

Sulfasalazine is an anti-inflammatory medication that treats certain autoimmune conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). —Carrie Madormo, Verywell Health, 10 Nov. 2025

People with rheumatoid arthritis can be treated with one or two medications and expect to experience disability-free lives with few to no symptoms. —Jason Liebowitz, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1859, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for rheumatoid arthritis

• diverticulitis
• epididymitis
• osteoarthritis
• periodontitis
• polymyositis
• pyelonephritis
• tenosynovitis
• adenitis
• arteritis
• blepharitis
• cervicitis
• cholangitis

Medical Definition

rheumatoid arthritis

noun

: a usually chronic disease that is considered an autoimmune disease and is characterized especially by pain, stiffness, inflammation, swelling, and sometimes destruction of joints

—abbreviation RA

called also atrophic arthritis

compare osteoarthritis