-itis


  1. a suffix used in pathological terms that denote inflammation of an organ (bronchitis; gastritis; neuritis) and hence, in extended senses, nouns denoting abnormal states or conditions, excesses, tendencies, obsessions, etc. (telephonitis; baseballitis).

Origin of -itis

1
<New Latin (or Latin ) -ītis<Greek

Words Nearby -itis

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use -itis in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for -itis

-itis

suffix forming nouns
  1. indicating inflammation of a specified part: tonsillitis

  2. informal indicating a preoccupation with or imaginary condition of illness caused by: computeritis; telephonitis

Origin of -itis

1
New Latin, from Greek, feminine of -itēs belonging to; see -ite 1

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

Scientific definitions for -itis

-itis

  1. A suffix meaning “inflammation,” as in bronchitis, inflammation of the bronchial tubes.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.