terminal illness
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of terminal illness
First recorded in 1860–65
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.
Here’s another one: Ryusuke Hamaguchi, whose roving “Drive My Car” surprised everyone, is back with a sad-sounding movie about terminal illness, “All of a Sudden.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026
"We changed it so that at the start of the play Richard gets news that he's got a terminal illness, something like MND that's going to get worse," he said.
From BBC • Apr. 8, 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
In January 2026, they approved the principles of draft legislation which would enable qualifying adults with a terminal illness to end their life with the help of a medical professional.
From BBC • Feb. 26, 2026
Like a person with a terminal illness, I was eager to ignore the immediate symptoms, hoping for a last-minute cure.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
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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.