plural noun

comorbidities

koh-mor-BID-i-teez

Comorbidities (plural noun) means Additional medical conditions that a patient has at the same time as a main illness being treated or studied. Example: “Patients with several comorbidities were at greater risk of complications after surgery.”

plural noun

medical Additional medical conditions that a patient has at the same time as a main illness being treated or studied.

"Patients with several comorbidities were at greater risk of complications after surgery."

"Obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure are the comorbidities most often recorded alongside heart disease."

How to Use Comorbidities

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishOther illnesses a person has at the same time as the one being treated.

When to use it

Clinical and epidemiological writing; rare in ordinary conversation before it entered wide public use through pandemic reporting.

Memory tip

Use it of conditions, not of people: patients have comorbidities; they are not comorbidities.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

complications symptoms risk factors

Common pairings

multiple comorbidities underlying comorbidities patients with comorbidities adjusted for comorbidities

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

Patients with several _____ were at greater risk of complications after surgery.

Etymology

From co- "together with" and morbidity, ultimately from Latin morbus "disease".

Origin: Latin

Synonyms

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coexisting conditions concurrent conditions underlying conditions

Rhymes for comorbidities

lies Dies flies Aries Fries duties series ladies rabies undies Davies movies

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a comorbidity and a complication?

A comorbidity is a separate condition the patient already has alongside the main illness, such as asthma in someone being treated for cancer. A complication is a new problem caused by the illness or its treatment. The difference is origin: comorbidities run in parallel, complications follow on.

Does a comorbidity have to be related to the main condition?

No. The term simply means the conditions coexist in the same patient. They may share a cause, as diabetes and heart disease often do, or be entirely unconnected — the clinical point is that treatment must take both into account.

Is the singular comorbidity or co-morbidity?

The singular is comorbidity. Both the closed spelling and the hyphenated "co-morbidity" appear in medical writing, but most journals and style guides now prefer comorbidity without the hyphen.