Dictionary Home » Dictionary Definitions » arthritis

arthritis

Listen See in Thesaurus See in a sentence

The definition of arthritis is an inflammatory condition of a joint in the body that can cause pain, swelling or stiffness.

(noun)

An example of arthritis is when an older person has difficulty using their hands to write or do other tasks because of stiffness in the joints.

See arthritis in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

inflammation of a joint or joints, esp. as in rheumatoid arthritis

Origin: L < Gr < arthron (see arthro-) + -itis

Related Forms:

arthritic adjective

See arthritis in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

Inflammation of a joint, usually accompanied by pain, swelling, and stiffness, and resulting from infection, trauma, degenerative changes, metabolic disturbances, or other causes. It occurs in various forms, such as bacterial arthritis, osteoarthritis, or rheumatoid arthritis.

Related Forms: