cirrhosis

American  

[si-roh-sis] / sɪˈroʊ sɪs /

noun

Pathology.

1. a disease of the liver characterized by increase of connective tissue and alteration in gross and microscopic makeup.

---

cirrhosis British  

/ sɪˈrɒtɪk, sɪˈrəʊsɪs /

noun

1. Also called: cirrhosis of the liver.  any of various progressive diseases of the liver, characterized by death of liver cells, irreversible fibrosis, etc: caused by inadequate diet, excessive alcohol, chronic infection, etc

---

cirrhosis Scientific  

/ sĭ-rō′sĭs /

1. A chronic disease of the liver characterized by the replacement of normal tissue with scar tissue and the loss of functional liver cells. It is most commonly caused by chronic alcohol abuse, but can also result from nutritional deprivation or infection, especially by the hepatitis virus.

---

cirrhosis Cultural  

1. A chronic disease of the liver, characterized by replacement of normal liver cells with a form of connective tissue. Owing to the scarring caused by this disease, irreversible damage to the liver can result.

---

Discover More

Cirrhosis is often associated with alcoholism.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• cirrhotic
  adjective
• cirrhosed
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of cirrhosis

1830–40; < Greek kirrh ( ós ) orange-tawny + -osis

Explanation

Cirrhosis is type of liver disease that includes inflammation and damage to cells. Cirrhosis is usually caused by alcoholism or hepatitis. There are many dangers to drinking too much alcohol, but one of the most serious is cirrhosis of the liver: a chronic disease of this very important organ. When you have cirrhosis, tissues become thickened, inflamed, or simply deteriorate. This term often appears in the fuller and somewhat redundant form cirrhosis of the liver. Cirrhosis has no relatives in modern English and is derived from a Greek color word: kirrhos, orangish-brown, which is the typical color of the cirrhotic liver.

Example Sentences

The condition can quietly progress for years before leading to cirrhosis, liver failure, or liver cancer.

From Science Daily • May 27, 2026

Pinto said the swelling was caused by a large quantity of both fat and ascites, an abnormal buildup of fluid in the abdominal cavity often linked to cirrhosis of the liver.

From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026

"If we can intervene earlier -- before fibrosis progresses to cirrhosis or cancer -- the impact could be substantial."

From Science Daily • Mar. 6, 2026

Hep B increases risk of cirrhosis and liver cancer later in life.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 6, 2026

It is what physicians must now do for patients with intractable cancer, severe rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, stroke, and advanced cirrhosis.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas