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Showing results for osteoarthritis. Search instead for acute arthritis.

osteoarthritis

American  
[os-tee-oh-ahr-thrahy-tis] / ˌɒs ti oʊ ɑrˈθraɪ tɪs /

noun

Pathology.
  1. the most common form of arthritis, usually occurring after middle age, marked by chronic breakdown of cartilage in the joints leading to pain, stiffness, and swelling.


osteoarthritis British  
/ ˌɒstɪəʊɑːˈθrɪtɪk, ˌɒstɪəʊɑːˈθraɪtɪs /

noun

  1. Also called: degenerative joint disease.  chronic inflammation of the joints, esp those that bear weight, with pain and stiffness

"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

osteoarthritis Scientific  
/ ŏs′tē-ō-är-thrītĭs /
  1. A form of arthritis, occurring mainly in older people, that is characterized by chronic degeneration of the cartilage of the joints.


Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of osteoarthritis

First recorded in 1875–80; osteo- + arthritis

Vocabulary lists containing osteoarthritis

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:

"Exercise is recommended as a primary treatment for hip osteoarthritis, and this review doesn't overturn that," said Michelle Hall, co-lead author from the University of Sydney.

From Science Daily Jul. 28, 2026

Lilly said it now has data supporting global submissions for retatrutide to treat obesity, knee osteoarthritis pain, and sleep apnea.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 23, 2026

Roy says chronic inflammation is a major factor in the development of post-traumatic osteoarthritis.

From Science Daily Jul. 12, 2026

"The next steps will involve validating these findings in animal models of early post-traumatic osteoarthritis and studying how ultrasound-based modulation affects long-term tissue repair in joint injury settings," Subramanian says.

From Science Daily Jul. 12, 2026

Figure 217, taken from Hutchinson's "Archives of Surgery," represents an extreme case of deformity of the knee-joints in a boy of seven, the result of severe osteoarthritis.

From Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine by Pyle, Walter L. (Walter Lytle)

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