systemic lupus erythematosus

noun

systemic lupus er·​y·​the·​ma·​to·​sus -ˌer-ə-ˌthē-mə-ˈtō-səs How to pronounce systemic lupus erythematosus (audio)
: a chronic, inflammatory, variable autoimmune disease of connective tissue that occurs chiefly in women and is typically characterized by fever, skin rash, fatigue, and joint pain and often by disorders of the blood, kidneys, heart, lungs, and brain (such as hemolytic anemia, nephritis, pleurisy, pericarditis, cognitive dysfunction, or meningitis)
abbreviation SLE

called also lupus

Word History

First Known Use

1951, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of systemic lupus erythematosus was in 1951

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Cite this Entry

“Systemic lupus erythematosus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/systemic%20lupus%20erythematosus. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

Medical Definition

systemic lupus erythematosus

noun
systemic lupus er·​y·​the·​ma·​to·​sus -ˌer-ə-ˌthē-mə-ˈtō-səs How to pronounce systemic lupus erythematosus (audio)
: a chronic, inflammatory, variable, autoimmune disease of connective tissue that occurs chiefly in women and is typically characterized by fever, skin rash, fatigue, and joint pain and often by disorders of the blood, kidneys, heart, lungs, and brain (such as hemolytic anemia, nephritis, pleurisy, pericarditis, cognitive dysfunction, or meningitis)
No disease more dramatically illustrates the body's capacity to turn on itself than systemic lupus erythematosusStephen E. Goldfinger and Paul Cotton, Harvard Medical Health Letter
We would also run blood tests for autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus, in which the body reacts to its own cells and proteins …Abigail Zuger, Discover
abbreviation SLE

called also systemic lupus

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