cardiac

1 of 2

adjective

car·​di·​ac ˈkär-dē-ˌak How to pronounce cardiac (audio)
1
a
: of, relating to, situated near, or acting on the heart
b
: of or relating to the cardia of the stomach
2
: of, relating to, or affected with heart disease
cardiac patients

cardiac

2 of 2

noun

: a person with heart disease

Examples of cardiac in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
In one four-week cardiac rehabilitation study, participants doing HIIT improved their cardiorespiratory fitness by 10%, compared with 4% for those doing moderate-intensity training. — Danielle Zickl, HEALTH, 10 Oct. 2026 His tenure—cut short by his untimely death from cardiac angiosarcoma in 2021, at 41—permanently altered the conversation about whom luxury is for and who gets to make it. — Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026
Noun
Knowings died from cardiac arest, per PEOPLE, which obtained Knowings’ death certificate. — Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Sep. 2026 That causes cardiac, metabolic, and other downstream health effects. — Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 5 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cardiac

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin cardiacus, from Greek kardiakos, from kardia

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1896, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cardiac was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing cardiac

Rhymes for cardiac

See All Rhymes for cardiac

Browse Nearby Words

-cardia
cardiac
cardiac arrest
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cardiac.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cardiac. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

cardiac

adjective
car·​di·​ac
ˈkärd-ē-ˌak
: of, relating to, situated near, or acting on the heart

Medical Definition

cardiac

1 of 2 adjective
car·​di·​ac ˈkärd-ē-ˌak How to pronounce cardiac (audio)
1
a
: of, relating to, situated near, or acting on the heart
b
: of or relating to the cardia of the stomach
2
: of, relating to, or affected with heart disease

cardiac

2 of 2 noun
: an individual with heart disease
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