Chronic meaning

krŏn'ĭk
The definition of chronic is something that lasts for a long time, keeps coming back or continues to happen.

An example of chronic is back pain that a person has every day.

An example of chronic is allergies that a person has often.

An example of chronic is taking pain medication on a daily basis.

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Lasting a long time or recurring often.
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Of long duration; continuing.

Chronic money problems.

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Having had an ailment for a long time.

A chronic patient.

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Subject to a habit or pattern of behavior for a long time.

A chronic liar.

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Continuing indefinitely; perpetual; constant.

A chronic worry.

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By habit, custom, etc.; habitual; inveterate.

A chronic complainer.

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A chronic patient.
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Lasting for a long period of time or marked by frequent recurrence, as certain diseases.

Chronic colitis.

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Relating to an illness or medical condition that is characterized by long duration or frequent recurrence. Diabetes and hypertension are chronic diseases.
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Of a problem, that continues over an extended period of time.

Chronic unemployment; chronic poverty; chronic anger.

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(medicine) Prolonged or slow to heal.

Chronic cough; chronic headache; chronic illness.

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Of a person, suffering from an affliction that is prolonged or slow to heal.

Chronic patients must learn to live with their condition.

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He's a chronic smoker.

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(informal) Very bad, awful.

That concert was chronic.

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(informal) Extremely serious.

They left him in a chronic condition.

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(informal) Good, great, as in "wicked".

That was cool, chronic in fact.

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A chronic one.
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(slang) Marijuana, typically of high quality.
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(medicine) A condition of extended duration, either continuous or marked by frequent recurrence. Sometimes implies a condition which worsens with each recurrence, though that is not inherent in the term.
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Lasting for a long period of time or marked by frequent recurrence, as certain diseases.

Chronic colitis.

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Origin of chronic

  • French chronique from Latin chronicus from Greek khronikos of time from khronos time
    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
  • From chronical, from Old French chronique, from Latin chronicus, from Ancient Greek χρονικός (khronikos, “of time”), from χρόνος (khronos, “time”).
    From Wiktionary

Chronic Sentence Examples

  • Chronic gastric ulcer is not unfrequently the starting point of cancer.

  • In spite of chronic unpopularity and recurring persecutions they have spread over nearly all Europe.

  • The chief interest of the place centres in its brine springs which are largely impregnated with carbonic acid gas and oxide of iron, and are efficacious in chronic catarrh of the respiratory organs, in liver and stomach disorders and women's diseases.

  • In chronic rheumatism sulphur waters taken internally and used as baths are effectual.

  • III.), are carried into the tissues, where they set up chronic irritation of a more or less serious nature according to the nature of the inhaled particles.

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Words near chronic in the Dictionary