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

Some research has linked a daily 500 mg dose with improved cognition, mood, and rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. —Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 16 Dec. 2025

But foot pain can also reflect underlying disease such as diabetes, autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis or vascular disease that can impair circulation enough to cause aching or pressure. —Daryl Austin, USA Today, 15 Dec. 2025

These conditions, like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, involve inflammation, which could translate into higher heart-attack risk over time by harming the lining of blood vessels. —Erica Sloan, SELF, 15 Dec. 2025

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

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