obesity
Americannoun
-
obesities
plural
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of obesity
First recorded in 1605–15; from Middle French obésité, from Latin obēsitāt-, stem of obēsitās, equivalent to obēs(us) obese ( def. ) + -i- ( def. ) + -tās -ty 2 ( def. )
Compare meaning
How does obesity compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Obesity is the condition of being more overweight than is considered average or healthy. The noun obesity was first used around 1610 and has origins in the Latin word obesitas, meaning "fatness" or "corpulence." During the Middle Ages, obesity was a sign of wealth and prosperity indicating that you had enough money to buy and eat all the food you wanted while others starved. Nowadays, research has shown that having too much fat can cause a number of related health problems. A healthy diet and fitness regime is a great way for someone to shed excess pounds and avoid obesity.
Vocabulary lists containing obesity
"A Rose for Emily"
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List 2
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Nutrition - Introductory
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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.
See Examples For:
A recent study estimated, external 1.6 million adults in England, Wales and Scotland used weight-loss drugs in 2024-25, most buying them privately, and the North East has the highest adult obesity rates in England.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
Jack Birch, who researches public health and obesity at Newcastle University, says there is growing academic interest in how men and women approach using weight-loss drugs differently.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
The findings may help scientists develop obesity treatments that are more effective and potentially work better in combination.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 15, 2026
People with abdominal obesity alone had a 47% higher risk of death, while vitamin D deficiency by itself was associated with an increase of up to 91%.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 14, 2026
I’m excited to talk about all of these except the one about obesity.
From "Watch Us Rise" by Renée Watson and Ellen Hagan
It does not require a Paxton to know that a hole in the stage two feet square, will not hold Barnum's obesities.
From Physiology of The Opera by John H. Swaby
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.
