1
a
: ill health : illness
b
: a disordered, weakened, or unsound condition
2
: a specific disease
3
: nausea, queasiness
Examples of sickness in a Sentence
He died from an unknown sickness.
she was plagued by sickness most of her adult life
Recent Examples on the Web
The plan lists a slew of excused absences, including sickness among students, major illness in the student’s immediate family, and doctor’s appointments.
—
Saleen Martin, USA Today, 3 June 2025
Medical coverage $75,000 in emergency accident and sickness coverage
$250,000 in evacuation and repatriation coverage
$750 in emergency dental treatment coverage
Pre-existing conditions
No coverage for pre-existing conditions within 60 days of your policy’s start date.
—Jason Stauffer, CNBC, 1 June 2025
Only a matter of days before, the couple vowed to love each other through sickness and in health.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 May 2025
By vacuuming microbes out of the sand, sea cucumbers reduce the growth of ecosystem-smothering algae as well as nasty bacteria that cause coral disease: A 2024 experiment found that removing sea cucumbers on two Pacific reefs led to a surge in sickness and death among many staghorn corals.
—Katarina Zimmer, JSTOR Daily, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sickness
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Saleen Martin, USA Today, 3 June 2025
Medical coverage $75,000 in emergency accident and sickness coverage
$250,000 in evacuation and repatriation coverage
$750 in emergency dental treatment coverage
Pre-existing conditions
No coverage for pre-existing conditions within 60 days of your policy’s start date.
—Jason Stauffer, CNBC, 1 June 2025
Only a matter of days before, the couple vowed to love each other through sickness and in health.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 May 2025
By vacuuming microbes out of the sand, sea cucumbers reduce the growth of ecosystem-smothering algae as well as nasty bacteria that cause coral disease: A 2024 experiment found that removing sea cucumbers on two Pacific reefs led to a surge in sickness and death among many staghorn corals.
—Katarina Zimmer, JSTOR Daily, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sickness
Cite this Entry
“Sickness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sickness. Accessed 9 Jun. 2025.
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sickness
noun
sick·ness
ˈsik-nəs 
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