convalescent
AmericanOther Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of convalescent
1650–60; < Latin convalēscent- (stem of convalēscēns ), present participle of convalēscere to convalesce; see -ent
Explanation
A person who's recovering from an illness is a convalescent. As a convalescent recovering from surgery, your grandmother would probably love some company to cheer her and help pass the time. Convalescent, as an adjective, can describe the period of recovery or anything related to the process of returning to health, like a convalescent program of physical therapy or a convalescent ward at a hospital. As a noun, a convalescent is a person who is recovering from being sick. The origin of convalescent is the Latin root valescere, which means "to begin to grow strong."
Vocabulary lists containing convalescent
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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.
Born in Helsinki, Schjerfbeck permanently injured her hip in a childhood fall and apparently began to draw as a convalescent.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 3, 2026
It then saw periods of use as a hunting lodge, World War Two convalescent hospital and a finishing school owned by a New Zealand-born spy who survived imprisonment in Colditz.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2023
She bounced around, from LA’s notorious Skid Row to various convalescent homes while her daughter lived at a shelter.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 20, 2023
The families she serves often work night shifts at Walmart, convalescent homes or an Amazon warehouse.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2023
I was to have three weeks’ convalescent leave and then return to the front.
From "A Farewell To Arms" by Ernest Hemingway
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
