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

For Vaknine, a holistic wellness coach who was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at age 2, selling their home and traveling the world carries even deeper meaning. — Lisa Boone, Los Angeles Times, 22 July 2026

Pfizer does offer its blockbuster pill Xeljanz for inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis for $1,518 on TrumpRx, as much as a 53% discount off the brand-name price. — Sydney Lupkin, NPR, 16 July 2026

Still, as Norstella’s Chancellor notes, what goes up eventually comes down, and newer breakthroughs are likely to be in more niche areas, like myasthenia gravis, rather than mega-blockbusters for common ailments like rheumatoid arthritis. — Amy Feldman, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026

Enbrel partially suppresses the immune system, reducing damage from rheumatoid arthritis and five other diseases where the body attacks its own tissues. — Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 7 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1859, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for rheumatoid arthritis

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

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