obesity
Americannoun
-
obesities
plural
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of obesity
First recorded in 1605–15; from Middle French obésité, from Latin obēsitāt-, stem of obēsitās, equivalent to obēs(us) obese ( def. ) + -i- ( def. ) + -tās -ty 2 ( def. )
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How does obesity compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Obesity is the condition of being more overweight than is considered average or healthy. The noun obesity was first used around 1610 and has origins in the Latin word obesitas, meaning "fatness" or "corpulence." During the Middle Ages, obesity was a sign of wealth and prosperity indicating that you had enough money to buy and eat all the food you wanted while others starved. Nowadays, research has shown that having too much fat can cause a number of related health problems. A healthy diet and fitness regime is a great way for someone to shed excess pounds and avoid obesity.
Vocabulary lists containing obesity
"A Rose for Emily"
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List 2
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Nutrition - Introductory
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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.
See Examples For:
The researchers say the findings could now support dietary intervention studies involving people with obesity, chronic infections, and other conditions associated with weakened immune function.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 22, 2026
Semaglutide, the active ingredient in GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic, has emerged as one of the most effective drugs ever developed to treat obesity.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 20, 2026
It has since become available in the U.K. and the United Arab Emirates, with executives hoping the pill can help it regain lost ground in the surging obesity market.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
A recent study estimated, external 1.6 million adults in England, Wales and Scotland used weight-loss drugs in 2024-25, most buying them privately, and the North East has the highest adult obesity rates in England.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
Yet their rates of heart disease and obesity are lower than the health-crazy Americans’.
From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan
It does not require a Paxton to know that a hole in the stage two feet square, will not hold Barnum's obesities.
From Physiology of The Opera by John H. Swaby
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.
