sickness
Americannoun
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a particular disease or malady.
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the state or an instance of being sick; illness.
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nausea; queasiness.
noun
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an illness or disease
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nausea or queasiness
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the state or an instance of being sick
Etymology
Origin of sickness
before 1000; Middle English siknesse, seknesse, Old English sēocnesse. See sick 1, -ness
Compare meaning
How does sickness compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
The condition of being unwell or having an illness is sickness. Your sickness during the month of November might mean you miss a lot of school. A well-known, Christian version of wedding vows includes a promise to "have and to hold...in sickness and in health." This means the couple agrees to stay together and support each other whether they're healthy or ill. Some sickness is a chronic or permanent kind of malady, while others are more specific, like morning sickness during pregnancy or a brief flash of sickness when your plane hits a patch of turbulence.
Vocabulary lists containing sickness
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.
The statement said its sickness policy recognises all medical conditions, including PTSD.
From BBC • May 13, 2026
The use of GLP-1 medications -- particularly semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy -- was associated with fewer psychiatric hospital visits and reduced sickness absence.
From Science Daily • May 4, 2026
Loyola senior Ejam Yohannes won the Invitational 400 in 46.29 after placing third in the event while battling sickness at Arcadia.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 19, 2026
That’s because we see spending on our health at a younger age as a way to prevent sickness later in life.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
She remembered that last winter, before the sickness began, she had seen Fishtail walking from the mission school.
From "The Birchbark House" by Louise Erdrich
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.
