hepatitis

IPA/ˌhepəˈtaɪtɪs/
KK[hˌɛpətˈaɪtəs]IPA/ˌhepəˈtaɪtɪs/

hepatitis — noun

1. a medical condition in which the liver becomes swollen and damaged, most often f

1.nounB2
Definition

a medical condition in which the liver becomes swollen and damaged, most often from a viral infection. The major forms (labeled A through C) are each spread through a different route, such as contaminated food or infected blood.

Example

After feeling tired for weeks, the patient was diagnosed with hepatitis A from contaminated food.

diagnosed with hepatitis [type]

Dr. Kemi noted that a vaccine given at birth can prevent hepatitis B.

hepatitis B + vaccine prevention

Common collocations
  • contract hepatitis
  • hepatitis A / B / C
  • chronic hepatitis
  • acute hepatitis
  • hepatitis outbreak
  • hepatitis virus
Synonyms
  • liver inflammation

    broader term that describes the physical condition; hepatitis is the specific medical diagnosis

  • hepatic infection

    more technical, used mainly in clinical settings; hepatitis is the common name

Usage Note

The three main types — A, B, and C — are caused by different viruses and spread through distinct routes. Types B and C can become chronic if left untreated. The noun is typically uncountable (e.g., 'hepatitis is common'), but it is countable when referring to specific types or outbreaks (e.g., 'three hepatitis outbreaks were reported').

Common Mistakes

He was diagnosed with hepatitis virus.
He was diagnosed with hepatitis.
hepatitis is the name of the disease, not the virus itself; the virus is called 'the hepatitis virus'.
She caught hepatitis because she ate dirty food.
She contracted hepatitis A from contaminated food.
'contract' is the standard medical verb for picking up a disease; 'catch' is informal and 'dirty food' is vague.

Word family

  • hepatic
    adjectiveC1
  • hepatology
    nounC2
  • hepatologist
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While all three terms relate to the liver, they differ in scope. Liver disease is the broadest category, covering any condition that damages the liver (including fatty liver, cirrhosis, cancer, and hepatitis). Liver inflammation is the literal physical state of swelling in the liver; hepatitis is the medical diagnosis for that condition when caused by infection or toxins. Jaundice is a symptom — yellowing of the skin and eyes — that can occur with hepatitis but also with other liver or blood disorders. For example, a patient with gallstones may have jaundice without having hepatitis, while someone with hepatitis may not yet show visible jaundice.

liver diseaseliver inflammationjaundice

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • hepatitis B virus
  • hepatitis C treatment
  • hepatitis A vaccine

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekEnglish

The word comes from Greek 'hepar' (肝臟) and '-itis' (發炎), literally meaning 'inflammation of the liver'. This '-itis' suffix appears in many medical terms such as 'arthritis' (joint inflammation) and 'dermatitis' (skin inflammation). The term entered English medical usage in the 1800s as doctors began classifying diseases by their affected organs.