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illness
[ il-nis ]
noun
- poor health; sickness:
He grew up in an environment known for poverty, illness, and little opportunity for education.
- a specific sickness or disease, or an instance of such:
Please be as accurate as possible in listing your childhood illnesses.
Synonyms: infirmity, affliction, ailment
- Obsolete. wickedness.
illness
/ ˈɪlnɪs /
noun
- a disease or indisposition; sickness
- a state of ill health
- obsolete.wickedness
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Compare Meanings
How does illness compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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Example Sentences
Restaurant owners have little choice but to stay open for business, and their employees risk serious illness — or death — to collect a paycheck.
Verily’s other efforts include a program to wipe out mosquito-borne illness and Covid-19 testing programs in several states.
In a group of about 3,000 patients, researchers compared the mortality of patients who received plasma with high and low levels, or titres, of antibodies at different stages of illness.
These people are living with respiratory illnesses and no one’s talking about it.
They also can transmit the virus to others, including educators, school staff and family members who are at higher risk of serious illness merely by being adults.
He beat his illness twice, wrote about his battles with the disease, and continued broadcasting even as his health was failing.
The Samaritan guidelines are written around the assumption that suicide is a purely irrational act, an act spurred by illness.
Few reports of his mental illness discuss lead poisoning as a possible reason for his mental deterioration.
Murder, suicide, illness, old age: These deaths stalk us all, but in prison, they collect us so much more cheaply.
“It's insane to see what the extreme version of that type of helpless anger combined with mental illness can create,” Cook wrote.
After about eighteen months of office work I had a long and serious illness and was away from duty for nearly half a year.
There remain still the uncounted thousands who by accident or illness, age or infirmity, are unable to maintain themselves.
It was written in evident anxiety, and the chief subject was the illness of his daughter.
Mr. Ernescliffe manages him very well—used to illness on that African coast, and the doctor is very fond of him.
Comyn, hearing of Bruce's serious illness, advanced against him with Mowbray and Brechin, and with a largely superior force.
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More About Illness
What does illness mean?
Illness is a state of poor health or sickness, as in I’ve had to miss a lot of work due to illness.
The word illness is also commonly used to refer to a disease or instance of sickness.
This sense of the word is often used when the type of disease is uncertain or unknown or when someone doesn’t want to specify what it is, as in They said that he is in the hospital with an illness, but they didn’t provide any further details.
The word illness is based on the adjective ill, meaning sick.
Example: The best way to avoid illness is to thoroughly wash your hands.
Where does illness come from?
The first records of the word illness come from around 1500. The suffix -ness is used to form nouns and indicates a state or condition (in this case, the state of condition of being ill.)
Describing an illness as serious means it could cause serious harm, as in This is a serious illness—not some regular cold. A chronic illness is one that lasts for a long time or frequently recurs. A terminal illness is one that will result in death. The term mental illness refers to a psychological disorder.
Did you know ... ?
What are some other forms related to illness?
- illnesses (plural)
- ill (adjective)
What are some synonyms for illness?
- ill health
- sickness
- ailment
- disease
- affliction
What are some words that share a root or word element with illness?
What are some words that often get used in discussing illness?
How is illness used in real life?
Illness is often used in the context of public health, such as in messages about how to fight the spread of illness. It’s also used when someone is sick and doesn’t know why or doesn’t want to say why.
Raiders WR Seth Roberts did not make trip to Dallas, source said. Out for second game. But he's recovering well from illness. Precautionary.
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) August 26, 2017
Pregnant women are at high risk for flu-related severe illness, hospitalization, and death. #FightFlu
— CDC Flu (@CDCFlu) September 17, 2015
Due to an illness, the Milan show is cancelled. We feel terrible to miss the amazing fans and will reschedule ASAP. More info forthcoming.
— Avenged Sevenfold (@TheOfficialA7X) February 21, 2017
Try using illness!
Is illness used correctly in the following sentence?
The play was postponed because the lead actor was suffering from illness.
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