Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

remission

American  
[ri-mish-uhn] / rɪˈmɪʃ ən /

noun

  1. the act of remitting.

  2. pardon; forgiveness, as of sins or offenses.

    Synonyms:
    absolution
    Antonyms:
    censure, blame
  3. abatement or diminution, as of diligence, labor, intensity, etc.

    Synonyms:
    relaxation
    Antonyms:
    intensification
  4. the relinquishment of a payment, obligation, etc.

    Synonyms:
    release
  5. Medicine/Medical.

    1. a temporary or permanent decrease or subsidence of manifestations of a disease.

    2. a period during which such a decrease or subsidence occurs.

      The patient's leukemia was in remission.


remission British  
/ rɪˈmɪʃən, rɪˈmɪtəl /

noun

  1. the act of remitting or state of being remitted

  2. a reduction of the term of a sentence of imprisonment, as for good conduct

    he got three years' remission

  3. forgiveness for sin

  4. discharge or release from penalty, obligation, etc

  5. lessening of intensity; abatement, as in the severity of symptoms of a disease

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

remission Scientific  
/ rĭ-mĭshən /
  1. Abatement or subsiding of the symptoms of a disease.


remission Cultural  
  1. A period in the course of a disease when symptoms become less severe.


Usage

What is remission? In medicine, remission refers to a temporary or permanent decrease in the symptoms of a disease.Remission also refers to a release from a penalty or obligation, as in Fang was relieved when the bank gave him remission for the late fees on his car loan.Remission can also refer to the forgiveness of sin, as in The remission of sin is granted by the Church.Example: After four years of fighting cancer, I finally entered remission last week.

Discover More

The term remission is often used in speaking of sufferers from leukemia or other cancers whose symptoms lessen or disappear. In such a case, the disease is said to be “in remission.” The period of remission may last only briefly or may extend over several months or years.

Other Word Forms

  • nonremission noun
  • remissive adjective
  • remissively adverb

Etymology

Origin of remission

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English, from Old French, from Latin remissiōn-, stem of remissiō; equivalent to remiss + -ion

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.

I completed six months of chemotherapy in September and am now in remission.

From The Wall Street Journal

He then went into remission in November 2023, but six months later, the cancer spread to his brain.

From BBC

“I’m in remission with both cancers,” he said Wednesday, “and what a journey this has been.”

From Los Angeles Times

Shortly into the women’s friendship, her 5-year-old son’s cancer—which had been in remission—returned.

From The Wall Street Journal

Among the patients who died was 10-year-old Milly Main, who acquired an infection while in remission for leukaemia, and 84 children were infected.

From BBC