illness
Americannoun
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illnesses
plural
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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.
See Examples For:
The Vatican has stressed that the Pope had shown no symptoms of infection or illness prior to the procedure.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
These ideas, however, were not unique to those suffering paranoid illness.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Such treatments could eventually benefit people who have difficulty exercising, including those recovering from major surgery, serious illness, or chronic conditions such as cancer.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026
He had appeared virtually at an event in early October to inform attendees that he had come down with the illness.
From Salon ● Oct. 15, 2026
Many suffered from one illness or another, Farmer observed, and Lafontant confirmed that there was little or no medicine for them.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
About half of American adults live with at least one chronic disease, like heart disease, diabetes or cancer, and about 85% of healthcare dollars go toward caring for these illnesses.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
After thousands of foodborne illnesses this year, the produce giant will suspend some harvesting and processing during peak summer months.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
Changes in gene activity and immune signaling do not necessarily translate directly into fewer illnesses, and larger clinical studies are needed to establish what the differences mean for everyday health.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026
But concerns have been raised about whether mental illnesses are currently understood well enough by medicine to determine appropriate eligibility.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
There was no protection from common childhood illnesses like tuberculosis, rheumatic fever, diphtheria, or whooping cough.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
