inflammation

American  

[in-fluh-may-shuhn] / ˌɪn fləˈmeɪ ʃən /

noun

• inflammations
  plural

1. Pathology. redness, swelling, pain, tenderness, heat, and disturbed function of an area of the body, especially as a reaction of tissues to injurious agents.

2. the act or fact of inflaming.

3. the state of being inflamed.

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inflammation British  

/ ˌɪnfləˈmeɪʃən /

noun

1. the reaction of living tissue to injury or infection, characterized by heat, redness, swelling, and pain

2. the act of inflaming or the state of being inflamed

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inflammation Scientific  

/ ĭn′flə-mā′shən /

1. The reaction of a part of the body to injury or infection, characterized by swelling, heat, redness, and pain. The process includes increased blood flow with an influx of white blood cells and other chemical substances that facilitate healing.

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inflammation Cultural  

1. The response of tissue to injury or infection. Pain, heat, redness, and swelling are the four basic symptoms of inflammation.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• subinflammation
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• inflammations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of inflammation

First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin inflammātiōn-, stem of inflammātiō, from inflammāt(us) “kindled” (past participle of inflammāre “to kindle”; see inflame) + -iō -ion

Explanation

An inflammation means "setting something on fire." Maybe it's a political movement that suddenly takes hold, romantic feelings, the heat making your shoes feel tight, or someone lighting a campfire. Inflammation comes from the root inflame, from the Latin word inflammare meaning "to set on fire with passion." That meaning sounds pretty good, but an inflammation on your face, like a terrible rash, probably isn't going to inflame anyone's passion, at least until the swelling goes down. It probably also causes pain and discomfort.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

inflammation inflammations

These macrophages typically shift from pro-inflammatory M1 states toward pro-reparative M2 states, allowing inflammation to subside and tissue repair to move forward.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 10, 2026

T lymphocytes, including regulatory T cells and γδ T cells, also help coordinate healing and regulate inflammation.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 10, 2026

People say that experimental peptide injections have helped them reduce inflammation, build muscle and defy aging.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

It’s an active part of metabolism, your circadian rhythm, inflammation control, blood sugar, and blood pressure.

From Slate ● Oct. 9, 2026

Finally, after the suffering became intolerable, he relented, was examined, and was told that he was suffering from orchitis, an inflammation of the testicle.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Like other autoimmune diseases, which include rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and lupus, these autoimmune brain inflammations, or encephalitides, arise when antibodies turn against the body.

From Science Magazine ● May 15, 2024

A remarkable feature of the female reproductive tract is its ability to rapidly clear these cyclic inflammations and restore normal reproductive function.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 7, 2024

In addition to the psychological scars of war, soldiers also come here to treat meningitis, contusions, amputations, lung and nerve inflammations, sleeping disorders, skin diseases, and cardiovascular illnesses, among others.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 5, 2023

Compounds similar to the snake’s active toxin are used to treat inflammations.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022

We slept hour after hour, ate a little, tended our frostbites, inflammations, and bruises, mindspoke, slept again.

From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin

Related Words

• infection
• irritation
• pain
• rash
• sore
• tenderness