health
Americannoun
-
the general condition of the body or mind with reference to soundness and vigor.
good health;
poor health.
-
soundness of body or mind; freedom from disease or ailment.
to have one's health;
to lose one's health.
-
a polite or complimentary wish for a person's health, happiness, etc., especially as a toast.
We drank a health to our guest of honor.
-
vigor; vitality.
economic health.
noun
-
the state of being bodily and mentally vigorous and free from disease
-
the general condition of body and mind
in poor health
-
the condition of any unit, society, etc
the economic health of a nation
-
a toast to a person, wishing him or her good health, happiness, etc
-
(modifier) of or relating to food or other goods reputed to be beneficial to the health
health food
a health store
-
(modifier) of or relating to health, esp to the administration of health
a health committee
health resort
health service
interjection
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of health
First recorded before 1000; Middle English helthe, Old English hǣlth; see hale 1, whole, -th 1
Explanation
Your health is the condition of your body. If you barely get any sleep and only eat frozen pizza and jellybeans, you probably have poor health. Health comes from the old English word for "whole," and you can think of it as the state of your whole being — both body and mind. We use health to talk about bodies and people, but also to talk about whole systems. If you lost your job, you might be worried about the health of your finances. If a bad manager provokes employees to be unproductive, investors might be worried about the health of a business.
Vocabulary lists containing health
"Macbeth" Vocabulary from Act III
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Exercise Vocabulary
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Supreme Court healthcare ruling
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Today, Angelenos sent a clear message: we take care of each other,” said Jim Mangia, chief executive of St. John’s Community Health and a spokesperson for the campaign, in a statement.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026
Co-first author Associate Professor Joshua Zadro from the University's Institute for Musculoskeletal Health and School of Health Sciences said the findings have broad implications.
From Science Daily • Jun. 9, 2026
The former Health and Human Services secretary clinched the first spot in the primary with Republican Steve Hilton appearing to be a close second.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
According to reporting in the New York Times, “American officials did not learn of the outbreak until Thursday, nine days after the World Health Organization did, and almost a month after the first person died.”
From Slate • Jun. 9, 2026
On the other hand, Dr. Wayland Hayes of the United States Public Health Service contends that in every individual a point of equilibrium is reached, and that DDT in excess of this amount is excreted.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
