psoriasis

American  

[suh-rahy-uh-sis] / səˈraɪ ə sɪs /

noun

Pathology.

psoriases plural

1. a common chronic, inflammatory skin disease characterized by scaly patches.

---

psoriasis British  

/ ˌsɔːrɪˈætɪk, səˈraɪəsɪs /

noun

1. a skin disease characterized by the formation of reddish spots and patches covered with silvery scales: tends to run in families

---

psoriasis Scientific  

/ sə-rī′ə-sĭs /

1. A chronic, inflammatory skin disease in which recurring reddish patches, often covered with silvery scales, appear especially on the knees, elbow, scalp and trunk. Psoriasis is noncontagious and is inheritable.

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• psoriatic
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• psoriases
  plural

Etymology

Origin of psoriasis

First recorded in 1675–85; from New Latin, from Greek psōríāsis, from psōriā- (variant stem of psōriân “to have the itch,” derivative of psṓra “itch”) + -sis -sis

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

psoriasis psoriases

LED technology is commonly used in medical settings to treat eczema, acne, psoriasis and sun damage, but at-home LED devices are becoming more popular.

From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2026

Tremfya is approved in the U.S. to treat certain types of plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 15, 2026

Key to J&J’s future is Tremfya, an IL-23 inhibitor used to treat several autoimmune conditions, such as plaque psoriasis.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 14, 2026

Oruka’s ORKA-002 blocks IL-17, another immune attack weapon, that can cause psoriasis in the skin, and cause arthritis-like damage to joints.

From Barron's ● Apr. 10, 2026

She just kept combing his hair with her fingers, kissing it in the spots where it was irritated with the psoriasis he often had.

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee

I have seen confidence in a particular physician or remedy do much for even the most sloughing and obstinate psoriases.

From Psychotherapy by Walsh, James J. (James Joseph)