wellness
Americannoun
-
the quality or state of being healthy in body and mind, especially as the result of deliberate effort.
-
an approach to healthcare that emphasizes preventing illness and prolonging life, as opposed to emphasizing treating diseases.
noun
Etymology
Origin of wellness
First recorded in 1650–60, for an earlier sense; introduced in 1957 by U.S. biostatistician Halbert L. Dunn, M.D. (1896–1975), for the current senses; well 1 (in the sense “in good health”) + -ness
Compare meaning
How does wellness compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Wellness is the opposite of illness. When you're healthy and not suffering from any diseases, you're enjoying a state of wellness. It might seem like the phrase "health and wellness" is a little repetitive, but the two terms have increasingly distinct meanings. Since the middle of the 20th century, wellness has become the popular term, especially in alternative medicine, to describe health that includes a balance of body, mind, and spirit.
Vocabulary lists containing wellness
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The Suffix -ness, Part 4
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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.
Then, Axios’ Senior Health Care Editor Adriel Bettelheim joins to explain what peptides are and how RFK Jr. is trying to throw the doors open for the undertested wellness trend.
From Slate • Apr. 25, 2026
Brash has spent the past year posting videos calling out nutrition misinformation largely promoted by wellness influencers.
From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026
Tiffany Kahl, who owns a tanning and wellness salon in Pennsylvania, hunts business-class travel deals as a hobby and subscribes to Thrifty Traveler.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026
While body wisdom and alternative healing are framed as part of the Goop-conscious modern wellness movement, McDaniel explains that these practices are not new.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026
Nathan remembered what Devin had said: that the ceremony was only part of Uncle Jet’s path to wellness.
From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young
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.
