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

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