sickness

American  

[sik-nis] / ˈsɪk nɪs /

noun

1. a particular disease or malady.

2. the state or an instance of being sick; illness.

3. nausea; queasiness.

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sickness British  

/ ˈsɪknɪs /

noun

1. an illness or disease

2. nausea or queasiness

3. the state or an instance of being sick

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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:

• sickness vs. illness

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.

Example Sentences

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

To be terminally online is a brain sickness and most of us have some stage of it.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

Shankland got over his sickness in double-quick time.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

The findings showed that GLP-1 medications, especially semaglutide, were associated with fewer psychiatric-related hospital visits and reduced sickness absence.

From Science Daily • Mar. 22, 2026

“How? You said the sickness is in his blood. That he can’t be saved.”

From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles

Related Words

• ailment
• disease
• disorder
• ill health
• illness
• infirmity
• malady
• nausea
• syndrome