Health / B1

di-ZEEZ/dɪˈziːz/

A disease is an illness that affects people, animals, or plants: heart disease; infectious disease; prevent disease. Illness and sickness are broader everyday words; a disease is often named and medical. Condition can be long-term (a heart condition). Disease is countable for types and uncountable when you mean disease in general. Diseased is the adjective for plants or organs.

Meaning

An illness that affects people, animals, or plants.

Examples

• “The doctor is researching a rare disease.”
• “Vaccination has reduced several serious diseases.”
• “The trees were dying from a fungal disease.”

Good to know

heart / infectious disease. Everyday: illness. Long-term: condition. Adjective: diseased.

Near in meaning

illness

Topics

New