tonsillitis

American  

[ton-suh-lahy-tis] / ˌtɒn səˈlaɪ tɪs /

noun

Pathology.

1. inflammation of a tonsil or the tonsils.

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tonsillitis British  

/ ˌtɒnsɪˈlaɪtɪs /

noun

1. inflammation of the palatine tonsils, causing enlargement, occasionally to the extent that they nearly touch one another

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tonsillitis Scientific  

/ tŏn′sə-lī′tĭs /

1. Inflammation of the tonsils, usually caused by bacterial infection.

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tonsillitis Cultural  

1. An inflammation of the tonsils, sometimes the result of a bacterial infection.

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Other Word Forms

• tonsillitic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of tonsillitis

First recorded in 1795–1805; from Latin tōnsill(ae) “tonsils” + -itis

Compare meaning

How does tonsillitis compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• pharyngitis vs. tonsillitis

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tonsillitis

Elle had developed quinsy, external - a complication of tonsillitis where a pus-filled abscess grows between your tonsils and the wall of your throat - which turned into sepsis, external.

From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026

On the day before his final qualifying match, last Tuesday, he had been in hospital with tonsillitis.

From BBC ● Apr. 20, 2026

Lyla Story, from Hull, died in May last year less than 24 hours after her mother had taken her to their doctor who diagnosed acute tonsillitis, an inquest heard in September.

From BBC ● Jan. 23, 2026

As a child, he suffered from recurring tonsillitis, but as an adult, he enjoyed vigorous sports like hiking, polo and skiing.

From New York Times ● Feb. 5, 2024

Don Hume, Washington’s stroke, was just a few days out of the infirmary and still recovering from severe tonsillitis, but you wouldn’t have known it by watching the race.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown