remission

American  

[ri-mish-uhn] / rɪˈmɪʃ ən /

noun

• remissions
  plural

1. the act of remitting.

2. pardon; forgiveness, as of sins or offenses.

   Synonyms:

   absolution

   Antonyms:

   censure, blame

3. abatement or diminution, as of diligence, labor, intensity, etc.

   Synonyms:

   relaxation

   Antonyms:

   intensification

4. the relinquishment of a payment, obligation, etc.

   Synonyms:

   release

5. Medicine/Medical.

   1. a temporary or permanent decrease or subsidence of manifestations of a disease.

   2. a period during which such a decrease or subsidence occurs.

      The patient's leukemia was in remission.

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remission British  

/ rɪˈmɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of remitting or state of being remitted

2. a reduction of the term of a sentence of imprisonment, as for good conduct

   he got three years' remission

3. forgiveness for sin

4. discharge or release from penalty, obligation, etc

5. lessening of intensity; abatement, as in the severity of symptoms of a disease

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remission Scientific  

/ rĭ-mĭsh′ən /

1. Abatement or subsiding of the symptoms of a disease.

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remission Cultural  

1. A period in the course of a disease when symptoms become less severe.

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Usage

What is remission? In medicine, remission refers to a temporary or permanent decrease in the symptoms of a disease. Remission also refers to a release from a penalty or obligation, as in Fang was relieved when the bank gave him remission for the late fees on his car loan. Remission can also refer to the forgiveness of sin, as in The remission of sin is granted by the Church. Example: After four years of fighting cancer, I finally entered remission last week.

Discover More

The term remission is often used in speaking of sufferers from leukemia or other cancers whose symptoms lessen or disappear. In such a case, the disease is said to be “in remission.” The period of remission may last only briefly or may extend over several months or years.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonremission
  noun
• remissive
  adjective
• remissively
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• remissions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of remission

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English, from Old French, from Latin remissiōn-, stem of remissiō; equivalent to remiss + -ion

Explanation

Remission refers to a stage of lesser intensity, when something subsides or improves. Remission is usually a good thing — like when your cancer is in remission, it means that it is manageable and not getting any worse. Remission comes from the Latin remissionem, meaning "relaxation; a sending back." If something difficult lets up, you'll be able to relax a little. For example, if you are being pelted non-stop during a dodgeball game, you'd hope for a remission so you'd have a minute to take a breath and find your glasses. Another meaning of the noun remission is a payment. Your college tuition remission must be taken care of before you start classes.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

remission remissions

Uncertain he would reach his 70th birthday, Mr. Moritz today, at 72, is in remission.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026

Published in Science, the findings may help explain why people with inflammatory bowel disease can experience sudden flare-ups even after reaching remission.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026

Maya, 13, from Hythe in Kent, was diagnosed with neuroblastoma at three years old, but relapsed in 2023 having been in remission for five years.

From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026

No cause of death was provided, but the outlet reported that Dasafo had been diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in 2010 before going into remission later that year.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

As we hoped and prayed, Miss Riley’s disease went into remission.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam

In mouse models of aggressive prostate cancer, the targeted particles produced several complete tumor remissions, offering encouraging evidence that the approach could eventually advance to human clinical trials.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 9, 2026

Through his remissions, they pursued fertility treatments and rounds of IVF, but miscarried each time.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026

Schaefer was released from a Bali jail on Tuesday morning after receiving a number of remissions for good behaviour.

From BBC ● Feb. 25, 2026

Cromhout told Science that four children now have had ART-free remissions for longer than 6 months and one is out 29 months.

From Science Magazine ● Mar. 7, 2024

Simultaneously with the affection of the joints and muscles the fever commences; its duration is from four to five days on the average, with one or, in exceptional cases, even more remissions.

From A System of Practical Medicine by American Authors, Vol. I Volume 1: Pathology and General Diseases by Various

Related Words

• absolution
• amnesty
• exemption
• exoneration
• forgiveness
• reprieve