1
a
b
: an unhealthy condition of body or mind
2
Examples of illness in a Sentence
Her body was not able to defend itself against illness.
Hundreds of soldiers died from illness and hunger.
He showed no signs of illness.
Scientists have not yet found a cure for this illness.
cancer, diabetes, and other illnesses
She died at the age of 60 after a brief illness.
Recent Examples on the Web
All these conversations are being had now because of King Charles’ illness.
—
Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 21 July 2025
Hospitals will close, Americans will go hungry and die of preventable illnesses, but at least there will be far more detention space for our neighbors.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 20 July 2025
Their demeanors never changed, the injuries and illnesses never diminished their love of the game or their love for the Mets.
—Abbey Mastracco, Hartford Courant, 19 July 2025
Older adults, young children and people with chronic illnesses face the greatest risk from extreme heat.
—Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for illness
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.
Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 21 July 2025
Hospitals will close, Americans will go hungry and die of preventable illnesses, but at least there will be far more detention space for our neighbors.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 20 July 2025
Their demeanors never changed, the injuries and illnesses never diminished their love of the game or their love for the Mets.
—Abbey Mastracco, Hartford Courant, 19 July 2025
Older adults, young children and people with chronic illnesses face the greatest risk from extreme heat.
—Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for illness
Cite this Entry
“Illness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/illness. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
illness
noun
ill·ness
ˈil-nəs 
1
: an unhealthy condition of body or mind
2
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share