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irritable bowel syndrome

American  

noun

Pathology.
  1. any combination of common disturbances of the bowel, as diarrhea or constipation, occurring with abdominal pain, sometimes accompanied by psychological stress. IBS


irritable bowel syndrome British  

noun

  1. med a chronic condition of recurring abdominal pain with constipation or diarrhoea or both

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

irritable bowel syndrome Scientific  
/ ĭrĭ-tə-bəl /
  1. A gastrointestinal disorder without demonstrable organic pathology, characterized by abdominal cramping, constipation, diarrhea, and mucus in the stool.


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.

A woman says doctors mistook her endometriosis for irritable bowel syndrome, as new figures show diagnosis delays are getting longer.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

Disruptions in this newly identified signaling pathway may play a role in conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, food intolerances, and chronic visceral pain.

From Science Daily • Mar. 28, 2026

And these foods are linked to a range of chronic health issues, including Type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease, certain types of cancer, irritable bowel syndrome and even early death.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 23, 2026

AbbVie cut the list price of Linzess, a treatment for irritable bowel syndrome, by about 50%, to $282 a month.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 29, 2026

Humbaba had the worst case of irritable bowel syndrome known to medical science.

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda

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