colitis

American  

[kuh-lahy-tis, koh-] / kəˈlaɪ tɪs, koʊ- /

noun

Pathology.

1. inflammation of the colon.

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colitis British  

/ kɒˈlɪtɪk, kə-, kɒˈlaɪtɪs, ˌkɒləˈnaɪtɪs /

noun

1. inflammation of the colon

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colitis Scientific  

/ kə-lī′tĭs /

1. Inflammation of the colon.

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colitis Cultural  

1. An inflammation of the mucous membrane that lines the colon. Colitis is characterized by pain in the abdomen, with alternating episodes of constipation and diarrhea.

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Other Word Forms

• colitic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of colitis

col- ² + -itis

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

colitis

According to an abstract presented at a medical meeting, there were improvements based on the Disease Activity Index, a common score for assessing the severity of ulcerative colitis.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

The drug also performed well among patients with difficult-to-treat ulcerative colitis, suggesting more patients could benefit from the drug than previously thought, the analysts note.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026

Another time, when Kavanagh was suffering ulcerative colitis, he brought his laptop and worked from a hospital bed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 5, 2026

IBD includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis and is marked by long-lasting inflammation in the digestive tract.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 25, 2026

He developed colitis and in 1909 learned he had diabetes.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson