WordValemorbidity
the rate of disease in a population
In more detail
1. (noun) the state of being sick or ill
2. (noun) the rate or number of cases of a disease in a population
3. (noun) an unhealthy interest in death or suffering
Examples
- 1. The morbidity from the flu increased during winter.
- 2. The study examined morbidity rates across different age groups.
- 3. The film was criticized for its morbidity and obsession with dark themes.
How to use morbidity
Morbidity is most common in medical and epidemiological contexts, where it refers to disease incidence or prevalence in populations (morbidity rate). It can also describe an individual's state of illness, though this sense is less frequent. The third sense, describing an unhealthy fascination with death or suffering, is typically used as an uncountable noun and carries a psychological or social critique.
Common phrases
- morbidity rate
- morbidity and mortality
- high morbidity
- associated morbidity
- disease morbidity
Synonyms
illness · sickness · disease · ailment · pathology
Opposites
health · wellness
Word family
morbid · morbidly · morbidness
A common mistake
Learners sometimes confuse morbidity with mortality; morbidity concerns illness and disease, while mortality concerns death specifically.
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