inflammation

American  

[in-fluh-mey-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

But they’d calcified and become larger, causing inflammation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

These help to dampen the chronic, low-grade inflammation that quietly underlies heart disease, diabetes and many cancers.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026

The findings suggest that this immune remodeling begins in midlife and may help explain how aging contributes to the long lasting brain inflammation often seen in neurodegenerative diseases.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 7, 2026

Shares of Novo Nordisk tumbled on Friday after the healthcare giant said that a drug it was developing to treat heart disease, kidney disease and inflammation failed in a late-stage trial.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026

He asked if Joe suffered from gastritis, or inflammation of the stomach lining.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

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

These T cells would then no longer be able to tackle the vascular inflammations.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 24, 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