1
2
: a harmful development (as in a social institution)
sees the city's crime as a disease
3
obsolete
: trouble
Examples of disease in a Sentence
He suffers from a rare genetic disease.
a disease of the mind
Thousands die of heart disease each year.
They are working to stop the spread of disease in rural areas.
The article cites intolerance as one of the most dangerous of society's diseases.
He sees crime as a disease that too often plagues the poor and disadvantaged.
Recent Examples on the Web
Besides being nuisances, many types carry diseases including West Nile virus, encephalitis, and canine heartworm.
—
Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 11 May 2025
An Ohio music conductor is using deep brain stimulation to combat his Parkinson’s disease.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 10 May 2025
However, in the 1950s, Panama disease — caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense Tropical Race 1 — began ravaging across Gros Michel farms in Costa Rica, Panama and beyond.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 10 May 2025
Minnesota newborns will soon be screened for a disease that can lead to delays in developmental milestones, regression of skills, seizures and in some cases death.
—Kristi Miller, Twin Cities, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for disease
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Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 11 May 2025
An Ohio music conductor is using deep brain stimulation to combat his Parkinson’s disease.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 10 May 2025
However, in the 1950s, Panama disease — caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense Tropical Race 1 — began ravaging across Gros Michel farms in Costa Rica, Panama and beyond.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 10 May 2025
Minnesota newborns will soon be screened for a disease that can lead to delays in developmental milestones, regression of skills, seizures and in some cases death.
—Kristi Miller, Twin Cities, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for disease
Cite this Entry
“Disease.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disease. Accessed 18 May. 2025.
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Medical Definition
disease
noun
dis·ease
diz-ˈēz 
: an impairment of the normal state of the living animal or plant body or one of its parts that interrupts or modifies the performance of the vital functions, is typically manifested by distinguishing signs and symptoms, and is a response to environmental factors (as malnutrition, industrial hazards, or climate), to specific infective agents (as worms, bacteria, or viruses), to inherent defects of the organism (as genetic anomalies), or to combinations of these factors : sickness, illness
called also morbus
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