disease

noun

dis·​ease di-ˈzēz How to pronounce disease (audio)
Synonyms of disease
1
: a condition of the living animal or plant body or of one of its parts that impairs normal functioning and is typically manifested by distinguishing signs and symptoms : sickness, malady
infectious diseases
a rare genetic disease
heart disease
2
: a harmful development (as in a social institution)
sees the city's crime as a disease
3
obsolete : trouble

Synonyms of disease

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Examples of disease in a Sentence

He suffers from a rare genetic disease. a disease of the mind Thousands die of heart disease each year. They are working to stop the spread of disease in rural areas. The article cites intolerance as one of the most dangerous of society's diseases. He sees crime as a disease that too often plagues the poor and disadvantaged.
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.
Measles usually kills two or three people in every 1,000 cases, the WHO says, but the disease can be more deadly in poorer nations because of factors such as malnutrition. — Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026 Visceral fat — which lies deep within the abdomen and surrounds internal organs — has also been linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, Cleveland Clinic states. — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026 And now those still left in the battered city along Ukraine's southeastern front face death from hunger or disease as another harsh winter looms, with no agreement in sight for even a humanitarian evacuation. — ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026 The workers named in the lawsuits were diagnosed with a range of illnesses, including COPD, kidney disease, pulmonary fibrosis, multiple myeloma, leukemia and cancers of the throat and blood. — Madison Smalstig, Sacbee.com, 17 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for disease

Word History

Etymology

Middle English disese, from Anglo-French desease, desaise, from des- dis- + eise ease

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

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

Phrases Containing disease

Rhymes for disease

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Browse Nearby Words

disdiapason
disease
diseased
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

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Kids Definition

disease

noun
dis·​ease diz-ˈēz How to pronounce disease (audio)
: an abnormal bodily condition of a living plant or animal that interferes with functioning and can usually be recognized by signs and symptoms : illness
diseased
-ˈēzd How to pronounce disease (audio)
adjective

Medical Definition

disease

noun
dis·​ease diz-ˈēz How to pronounce disease (audio)
: an impairment of the normal state of the living animal or plant body or one of its parts that interrupts or modifies the performance of the vital functions, is typically manifested by distinguishing signs and symptoms, and is a response to environmental factors (as malnutrition, industrial hazards, or climate), to specific infective agents (as worms, bacteria, or viruses), to inherent defects of the organism (as genetic anomalies), or to combinations of these factors : sickness, illness

called also morbus

compare health sense 1
diseased
-ˈēzd How to pronounce disease (audio)
adjective
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