peritonitis

American  

[per-i-tn-ahy-tis] / ˌpɛr ɪ tnˈaɪ tɪs /

noun

Pathology.

1. inflammation of the peritoneum, often accompanied by pain and tenderness in the abdomen, vomiting, constipation, and moderate fever.

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peritonitis British  

/ ˌpɛrɪtəˈnaɪtɪs /

noun

1. inflammation of the peritoneum

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peritonitis Scientific  

/ pĕr′ĭ-tn-ī′tĭs /

1. Infection or inflammation of the peritoneal cavity, usually caused by a ruptured organ, such as the appendix, in the gastrointestinal tract.

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Other Word Forms

• peritonital
  adjective
• peritonitic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of peritonitis

First recorded in 1770–80; periton(eum) + -itis

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

peritonitis

Otamendi Hospital said she underwent laparoscopic surgery, which confirmed the diagnosis of "appendicitis with localized peritonitis," and that she was recovering "without postoperative complications".

From Barron's ● Dec. 21, 2025

Fascinated by “Ulysses,” Arroyo said in a 1991 essay that imagining the illustrations kept him alive when he was hospitalized in the late 1980s for peritonitis, an inflammation of the abdominal lining.

From New York Times ● Feb. 10, 2022

Arroyo suffered for decades from peritonitis, and “working on ‘Ulysses’ gave him the strength to survive.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 25, 2022

The local hospital, where one Haitian migrant recently died of peritonitis, cannot keep up with demand, Tobon said.

From Reuters ● Sep. 9, 2021

“You’ll have to go to a hospital. If the appendix ruptures, you may get peritonitis, and the infection will spread.”

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady