chronic

American  

[kron-ik] / ˈkrɒn ɪk /

Rarely chronical

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 (opposed to acute).

---

noun

1. Slang. cronic.

chronic British  

/ 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 Scientific  

/ krŏn′ĭk /

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

Etymology

Origin of chronic

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

Explanation

If you smoke a cigarette once, you've simply made a bad choice. But if you're a chronic smoker, you've been smoking for a long time and will have a hard time stopping. The word chronic is used to describe things that occur over a long period of time and, in fact, comes from the Greek word for time, khronos. If you have chronic asthma, it is a recurring health issue for you. No one likes a chronic liar! A problem that cannot be solved can also be called chronic - think of the chronic food shortages in certain parts of the world.

Example Sentences

Haitians became eligible for TPS in 2010 following a devastating earthquake, and the country continues to suffer from severe poverty, rampant violence from heavily armed gangs and chronic political instability.

From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026

Harron asserts that Solanas’ actions were not the result of a brief, blind rage, but of a chronic discontent — a state of mind that looks all the more familiar two decades later.

From Salon • Apr. 29, 2026

With these techniques, researchers can now pinpoint the exact neural pathways involved in complex conditions like chronic pain.

From Science Daily • Apr. 27, 2026

And Homes for Scotland, which represents 200 firms in the industry, warned that new starts were on a "catastrophic trajectory" and could fall still further due to a "chronic shortage" of available land for building.

From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026

For centuries many of the inhabitants of this region suffered from what came to be known as “the Reichenstein disease” — chronic arsenicism with accompanying disorders of the liver, skin, and gastrointestinal and nervous systems.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

Related Words

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