chronic

Rarely chron·i·cal

[kron-ik]

adjective

1. constant; habitual; inveterate.

   a chronic liar.

   Synonyms: hardened, confirmed

2. continuing a long time or recurring frequently.

   a chronic state of civil war.

3. having long had a disease, habit, weakness, or the like.

   a chronic invalid.

4. (of a disease) having long duration (acute ).

noun

1. Slang.,  cronic.

chronic

/ krɒˈnɪsɪtɪ, ˈkrɒnɪk /

adjective

1. continuing for a long time; constantly recurring

2. (of a disease) developing slowly, or of long duration Compare acute

3. inveterate; habitual

   a chronic smoker

4. informal

   1. very bad

      the play was chronic

   2. very serious

      he left her in a chronic condition

chronic

1. Relating to an illness or medical condition that is characterized by long duration or frequent recurrence. Diabetes and hypertension are chronic diseases.

2. Compare acute

Other Word Forms

• chronically adverb
• chronicity noun
• nonchronic adjective
• nonchronical adjective
• subchronic adjective
• subchronical adjective
• unchronic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of chronic¹

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin chronicus, from Greek chronikós, equivalent to chrón(os) “time” + -ikos -ic

Word History and Origins

Origin of chronic¹

C15: from Latin chronicus relating to time, from Greek khronikos, from khronos time

Example Sentences

The new pharmacy service only applies to women aged between 16-64, due to the complexity of treating chronic UTIs in old age.

From BBC

She said she had suffered from teeth and gum decay, mobility issues and chronic fatigue.

From BBC

But Professor Forouhi says that type of cooking in the home is not very common and that long-term health studies still show that vegetable oils "without exception are related with better outcomes for chronic diseases."

From BBC

Riley hobbled down the aisle, hampered by the chronic nerve injury in her left leg that has forced her to announce her retirement a month shy of her 38th birthday.

From Los Angeles Times

She questions whether her career was really worth sacrificing her privacy, her sanity and even her health, as punishing live shows exacerbated her fibromyalgia, a condition that cause chronic, full-body pain.

From BBC

Related Words

• constant 
• continual 
• continuing www.thesaurus.com
• continuous 
• deep-rooted 
• deep-seated 
• habitual 
• incurable 
• lifelong 
• lingering www.thesaurus.com
• persistent 
• protracted 
• recurrent 
• recurring 
• sustained