rheumatoid arthritis

noun

Definition of rheumatoid arthritis

: 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 The drug, normally used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, was thought to have possible antivirus properties, but also known to be a strong inhibitor of inflammation. — Victoria Forster, Forbes, 2 Sep. 2021 Connect with other people who have rheumatoid arthritis. — Jennifer Larson, SELF, 7 July 2021 Long-haulers have also struggled to find doctors who believe them, an experience that people like Hill, who has rheumatoid arthritis and other chronic medical conditions, know well. — Laura Weiss, The New Republic, 1 July 2021 It is regularly used for those with rheumatoid arthritis, yet Genentech, the company that makes Actemra, doesn't have enough for everyone who needs it. — Aya Elamroussi, CNN, 28 Aug. 2021 People with rheumatoid arthritis will often test positive for the RF antibody. — Sara Gaynes Lev, SELF, 30 July 2021 Becker, who has been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, was out of the water for six months during the pandemic. — David Woods, The Indianapolis Star, 27 July 2021 Leslie has also had to shell out a lot of money for pricey procedures, like paying $3,000 for surgery on her right foot to help reduce pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis. — Alice Oglethorpe, Marie Claire, 21 July 2021 My wife takes Rituxan every six months for rheumatoid arthritis. — Dr. Keith Roach, oregonlive, 28 May 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rheumatoid arthritis.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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rheumatoid

rheumatoid arthritis

rheumatoid factor

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Last Updated

25 Sep 2021

Cite this Entry

“Rheumatoid arthritis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rheumatoid%20arthritis. Accessed 25 Sep. 2021.

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More Definitions for rheumatoid arthritis

rheumatoid arthritis

noun

English Language Learners Definition of rheumatoid arthritis

: a serious disease that continues to become worse over a long period of time and that causes the joints to become very painful, stiff, and swollen

See the full definition for rheumatoid arthritis in the English Language Learners Dictionary

rheumatoid arthritis

noun

Medical Definition of rheumatoid arthritis

: 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