illness
Americannoun
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poor health; sickness.
He grew up in an environment known for poverty, illness, and little opportunity for education.
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a specific sickness or disease, or an instance of such.
Please be as accurate as possible in listing your childhood illnesses.
- Synonyms:
- infirmity, affliction, ailment
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Obsolete. wickedness.
noun
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a disease or indisposition; sickness
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a state of ill health
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obsolete wickedness
Usage
What does illness mean? Illness is a state of poor health or sickness, as in I’ve had to miss a lot of work due to illness. The word illness is also commonly used to refer to a disease or instance of sickness. This sense of the word is often used when the type of disease is uncertain or unknown or when someone doesn’t want to specify what it is, as in They said that he is in the hospital with an illness, but they didn’t provide any further details. The word illness is based on the adjective ill, meaning sick. Example: The best way to avoid illness is to thoroughly wash your hands.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of illness
Compare meaning
How does illness compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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.
In “As if They Were My Daughters,” the problem is not illness but global inequality.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 8, 2026
People who shepherd their loved ones through serious illness are often crucial to the well-being of the patients using the company’s products.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 7, 2026
"People of my generation often can't come out to temples anymore because of illness or because they have passed away," she told AFP.
From Barron's • Jul. 7, 2026
There is no trace of illness, or wartime privations, or even old age—just a spry, youngish man in a straw hat.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 6, 2026
“Because I know sometimes when kids are dealing with family problems, like illness or divorce, they keep it to themselves.”
From "Maybe He Just Likes You" by Barbara Dee
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.
