morbidity

noun

mor·​bid·​i·​ty mȯr-ˈbi-də-tē How to pronounce morbidity (audio)
1
: the quality or state of being morbid
especially : an attitude, quality, or state of mind marked by excessive gloom
… there must have been some strange morbidity in his nature which made him take a grim pleasure in self-torture. Somerset Maugham
2
: a diseased state or symptom : ill health
Parasitic protozoans and helminths represent two major groups of infectious agents that are responsible for considerable morbidity and mortality in human and animal populations.Adel A. F. Mahmoud
also : a complication or undesirable side effect following surgery or medical treatment
Because laryngectomy results in substantial functional morbidity, including the loss of the natural voice … alternative forms of treatment have been developed. The New England Journal of Medicine
3
: the incidence of disease : the rate of illness (as in a specified population or group)
Because the young lack immune capability, the morbidity of viral upper respiratory diseases often reaches 100 percent of kittens in a litter or household.Margaret Reister
also : the incidence of complications or undesirable side effects following surgery or medical treatment
… radical prostatectomy in this setting … is associated with a very high morbidity. Phillip W. Kantoff

Examples of morbidity in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Thus, in states that ban abortions there is an increase in maternal morbidity and mortality. Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2024 And morbidity around the time of birth would increase by 454 cases in the first scenario and 826 cases in the second. Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 9 June 2023 Preterm infants are those born after less than 37 weeks of gestation and are at high risk for morbidity and mortality, the FDA notes. Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 3 Oct. 2023 That factor alone might account for nearly half of the racial disparity in maternal morbidity rates in New York City, according to research. Joseph Goldstein, New York Times, 4 Jan. 2024 Pediatric soup injuries happen so frequently that an astonishing amount of scientific literature is dedicated to it, generating terms such as meal-time morbidity, starch scalds, and the cooling curve of broth. Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 26 Dec. 2023 Treatment can include monitoring the tumor (surveillance) or interventions such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, or medications such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Surgery, which was once a primary treatment, has become less common due to high morbidity and postsurgical recurrence rates. Laura Hensley, Verywell Health, 13 Dec. 2023 The early deaths of his father and his blind younger brother gave him a lifelong morbidity. Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 15 Nov. 2023 The morbidity effects of a ransomware attack (i.e., how delays in care make existing conditions worse) are as yet unknown. Hannah Neprash, STAT, 17 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'morbidity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1721, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of morbidity was circa 1721

Dictionary Entries Near morbidity

Cite this Entry

“Morbidity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/morbidity. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

morbidity

noun
mor·​bid·​i·​ty mȯr-ˈbid-ət-ē How to pronounce morbidity (audio)
plural morbidities
1
: the quality or state of being morbid
2
: the rate at which a disease occurs in a group of individuals

Medical Definition

morbidity

noun
mor·​bid·​i·​ty mȯr-ˈbid-ət-ē How to pronounce morbidity (audio)
plural morbidities
1
: a diseased state or symptom : ill health
Parasitic protozoans and helminths represent two major groups of infectious agents that are responsible for considerable morbidity and mortality in human and animal populations.Adel A. F. Mahmoud, Nature
also : a complication or undesirable side effect following surgery or medical treatment
Because laryngectomy results in substantial functional morbidity, including the loss of the natural voice … alternative forms of treatment have been developed. The New England Journal of Medicine
2
: the incidence of disease : the rate of illness (as in a specified population or group)
Because the young lack immune capability, the morbidity of viral upper respiratory diseases often reaches 100 percent of kittens in a litter or household.Margaret Reister, Cat Fancy
also : the incidence of complications or undesirable side effects following surgery or medical treatment
… radical prostatectomy in this setting … is associated with a very high morbidity. Phillip W. Kantoff, Scientific American Medicine
compare mortality sense 2

More from Merriam-Webster on morbidity

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