illness

[ il-nis ]

noun

1. poor health; sickness:

   He grew up in an environment known for poverty, illness, and little opportunity for education.

2. 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

3. Obsolete. wickedness.

illness

/ ˈɪlnɪs /

noun

1. a disease or indisposition; sickness
2. a state of ill health
3. obsolete.
   wickedness

Word History and Origins

Origin of illness¹

First recorded in 1490–1500; ill + -ness

Example Sentences

In an emotional tribute, the UUP politician said Mr Reid had faced his illness “with his usual good humour”.

From BBC

Clinica Sierra Vista workers routinely head there to find their clients and dole out medications to those suffering from terminal illnesses.

From Los Angeles Times

Though many homeless people struggle with addiction and mental illness, the strongest driver of homelessness is the lack of affordable housing, research shows.

From Los Angeles Times

Together, Trump said in his statement, the two men would take on “the illness industrial complex, and all the horrible chronic diseases left in its wake.”

From Los Angeles Times

The total number of illnesses is also probably higher than reported.

From Salon

Related Words

• ailment
• breakdown
• collapse
• disability
• disorder
• disturbance
• flu
• ill health
• malady
• relapse
• seizure
• sickness
• syndrome
• virus

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? 

• mental illness

What are some words that often get used in discussing illness?

• sick
• serious
• mental
• chronic
• terminal
• due to
• come down with
• suffer
• unwell

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.