terminal illness

American  

[tur-muh-nl il-nis] / ˈtɜr mə nl ˈɪl nɪs /

Sometimes life-limiting illness

noun

terminal illnesses plural

1. a disease or condition that cannot be cured and will almost certainly lead to death.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• terminal illnesses
  plural

Etymology

Origin of terminal illness

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

terminal illness

This raises a momentous question: If diagnosed with a terminal illness, how can you weigh the decision in a calm, unhurried, fully informed manner?

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026

Rep. Neal Dunn, a 73-year-old Florida Republican who has an undisclosed terminal illness, won’t be casting votes unless House leaders need him to, the outlet Punchbowl News reported today.

From Slate ● Jul. 2, 2026

I hope Mr. Sasse’s public and courageous reflections on his terminal illness will help to compel the FDA to overhaul its dysfunctional drug approval protocols for rare diseases and more broadly.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 20, 2026

After MSPs expressed concerns at stage one, the bill now explicitly says that disability and mental illness alone do not constitute terminal illness.

From BBC ● Mar. 17, 2026

I think most people with a terminal illness have struggled with this.

From "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott