health

American  

[helth] / hɛlθ /

noun

1. the general condition of the body or mind with reference to soundness and vigor.

   good health;

   poor health.

2. soundness of body or mind; freedom from disease or ailment.

   to have one's health;

   to lose one's health.

   Synonyms:

   stamina, fitness, strength, vitality, vigor

3. 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.

4. vigor; vitality.

   economic health.

---

health British  

/ hɛlθ /

noun

1. the state of being bodily and mentally vigorous and free from disease

2. the general condition of body and mind

   in poor health

3. the condition of any unit, society, etc

   the economic health of a nation

4. a toast to a person, wishing him or her good health, happiness, etc

5. (modifier) of or relating to food or other goods reputed to be beneficial to the health

   health food

   a health store

6. (modifier) of or relating to health, esp to the administration of health

   a health committee

   health resort

   health service

---

interjection

1. an exclamation wishing someone good health as part of a toast (in the phrases your health, good health, etc)

health Idioms  

1. see clean bill of health.

---

Other Word Forms

• healthward adjective
• subhealth noun

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.

Example Sentences

"He has a history of serious violence and mental health issues," Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said during an update from the scene on Wednesday afternoon.

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026

The outlook isn’t entirely rosy: BofA analysts still anticipate near-term risks such as volatility in the health insurance marketplace.

From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026

Since taking office as health secretary, Kennedy has repeatedly suggested that the current U.S. nutrient standards for infant formula are outdated.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

A potential deal in the works includes employees paying zero to $630 a month in healthcare premiums — depending on their choice of health plan.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2026

“Your father and I are worried about you, Dana. We’ve decided you could use a mental health day off school.”

From "Linked" by Gordon Korman

Related Words

• energy
• fitness
• strength
• well-being