subacute

American  

[suhb-uh-kyoot] / ˌsʌb əˈkyut /

adjective

1. somewhat or moderately acute.

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subacute British  

/ ˌsʌbəˈkjuːt /

adjective

1. intermediate between acute and chronic

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Other Word Forms

• subacutely adverb

Etymology

Origin of subacute

First recorded in 1745–55; sub- + acute

Example Sentences

The child died from subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, a fatal progressive brain disorder that strikes roughly 1 in 10,000 people infected with measles.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

While connectivity increased for the light therapy-treated patients during the acute to subacute phases, there was no evidence of a difference in clinical outcomes between the treated and control participants.

From Science Daily • May 28, 2024

Other complications include brain inflammation and, in rarer cases, subacute sclerosing panencephalitis — a deadly neurological disorder.

From Salon • Mar. 15, 2024

At Montefiore, the contract calls for one nurse for every two critical care patients, five acute care patients and eight subacute patients, she told reporters Thursday afternoon.

From Washington Post • Jan. 12, 2023

Leaves oblong, obtuse or subacute; spreading or ascending plant of wet soil Water Smartweed, Polygonum amphibium var. hartwrightii. 24a.

From The Plants of Michigan Simple Keys for the Identification of the Native Seed Plants of the State by Gleason, Henry Allan