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, ˌpɛrɪtəˈnɪtɪk /

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

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

Her father said she had been treated for a perforated ulcer and peritonitis.

From Reuters • Dec. 7, 2022

“This house of cards that they have built that this man somehow got peritonitis and sepsis and died does not stand the test of scrutiny, and it makes no sense,” McKenna told jurors.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2022

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

“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