systemic lupus erythematosus
noun
systemic lupus er·y·the·ma·to·sus
-ˌer-ə-ˌthē-mə-ˈtō-səs 
: 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
Cite this Entry
“Systemic lupus erythematosus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/systemic%20lupus%20erythematosus. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
systemic lupus erythematosus
noun
systemic lupus er·y·the·ma·to·sus
-ˌer-ə-ˌthē-mə-ˈtō-səs
: 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 erythematosus …—
Stephen E. Goldfinger and Paul Cotton, Harvard Medical Health Letter
Stephen E. Goldfinger and Paul Cotton, Harvard Medical Health LetterWe 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
Abigail Zuger, Discovercalled also systemic lupus
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share