colitis

American

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

noun

Pathology.

inflammation of the colon.

colitis British

/ kɒˈlɪtɪk, kə-, kɒˈlaɪtɪs, ˌkɒləˈnaɪtɪs /

noun

inflammation of the colon

"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

colitis Scientific

/ kə-lī′tĭs /

Inflammation of the colon.

colitis Cultural

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.

Other Word Forms

colitic

adjective

Etymology

Origin of colitis

col- ² + -itis

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:

colitis

BPC-157 was discovered by researchers in Croatia in the 1990s and is primarily used as a treatment for interstitial cystitis, knee pain and ulcerative colitis.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

Abivax previously said it plans to file for regulatory approval of the drug as a treatment for ulcerative colitis later this year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 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

Similar gene expression changes were found in colon tissue samples from people with IBD-related colitis.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 25, 2026

Now, she definitely looks like Mr. Giancarlo of Sunnyside Eldercare during that unfortunate attack of colitis.

From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023