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

The Queen contracted the illness a month ago after a trip with the King to Australia and Samoa, which included a stopover in India on the way back.

From BBC

Cigarettes contain tobacco, tar and a range of other toxic cancer-causing chemicals, and are one of the largest preventable causes of illness and death in the UK, external.

From BBC

For D’Angelo Russell and Cam Reddish, it was illnesses that made them unable to come to the arena Sunday.

From Los Angeles Times

Being in a paranoid state of mind caused by mental illness can also be a risk factor, though this is more rare.

From BBC

If he is unable to fulfil this role due to age or illness, the next senior male member steps in.

From BBC

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.