sequelae
Sequelae (noun) means Conditions or complications that persist or develop as a result of an earlier disease or injury. Example: “Long-term sequelae of the infection include fatigue and joint pain.”
How to Use Sequelae
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishHealth problems left behind by an illness or injury.
Technical medical vocabulary; in ordinary writing after-effects is clearer.
It takes a plural verb: the sequelae were mild, not the sequelae was mild.
Trace the full origin ↓Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
Long-term _____ of the infection include fatigue and joint pain.
Etymology
Plural of Latin sequela 'that which follows, a consequence', from sequi 'to follow'.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for sequelae
See all rhymes for sequelae →Frequently Asked Questions
What is the singular of sequelae?
Sequela, pronounced si-KWEE-lə. It is a Latin first-declension noun, so the plural ends in -ae. Sequelas is not standard.
What is the difference between sequelae and symptoms?
Symptoms are what a patient experiences during an illness. Sequelae are what is left behind or arises afterwards, once the original disease or injury has run its course, such as scarring after a burn or hearing loss after meningitis.
Is sequelae the same as a complication?
They overlap but are not identical. A complication can arise during the illness itself, whereas sequelae specifically follow it and are usually chronic. Many writers use complication for problems in the acute phase and sequelae for the lasting residue.