Cambridge Dictionaries online Cambridge Dictionaries online

The most popular online dictionary and thesaurus for learners of English

  

illness

noun
 
 
/ˈɪl.nəs/

Definition

B1 [C] a disease of the body or mind: He died at home after a long illness.Disease and illness - general words B2 [U] the state of being ill: She had five days off work due to illness.Disease and illness - general words
(Definition of illness noun from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

“illness” in other dictionaries

Word of the Day

honest-to-goodness

real or true

Word of the Day

Blog

Read our blog about how the English language behaves.

Learn More

New Words

Find words and meanings that have just started to be used in English, and let us know what you think of them.

Learn More