comorbid

American  

[koh-mawr-bid] / koʊˈmɔr bɪd /

adjective

1. (of medical conditions) present simultaneously in a patient.

   comorbid insomnia and anxiety;

   depression comorbid with phobias;

   diabetics with comorbid hypertension.

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Usage

What does comorbid mean? Comorbid describes two or more diseases or medical conditions that exist at the same time in a person, as in The patient had a case of malaria with comorbid pneumonia. The conditions or illnesses said to be comorbid are unrelated to each other. They are simply occurring at the same time. One did not cause the other. However, the presence of one disease can worsen the condition of another. Comorbidity is the state of having multiple medical conditions at the same time, as in Arthritis is a common comorbidity of obesity. Example: The man was suffering from depression and comorbid insomnia.

Other Word Forms

• comorbidity noun

Etymology

Origin of comorbid

First recorded in 1980–85; co- + morbid ( def. ) (in the sense “associated with or characteristic of a disease”)

Example Sentences

Patients with asthma, a comorbid disease that frequently occurs along with atopic dermatitis, showed a median 56% reduction in fractional exhaled nitric oxide, a measure of airway inflammation.

From Barron's • Dec. 8, 2025

But they’re generally reserved for more vulnerable populations, like older people and people with comorbid conditions.

From Slate • Oct. 8, 2025

This glycan signature also has the potential to predict the onset of comorbid conditions in PLWH, such as cancer, years in advance.

From Science Daily • Apr. 10, 2024

“There are still plenty of susceptible older adults — living with comorbid conditions or living in multigenerational households — who are highly vulnerable.”

From Seattle Times • May 31, 2022

A March report in the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology unsurprisingly notes, "The COVID-19 pandemic is related to self-reported increases in psychological distress and gastrointestinal symptoms among individuals with IBS and comorbid anxiety and/or depression."

From Salon • Jun. 28, 2021