noun
sequelae
si-KWEE-lee
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.”
noun
1
medical Conditions or complications that persist or develop as a result of an earlier disease or injury.
"Long-term sequelae of the infection include fatigue and joint pain."
"She recovered from the stroke with no lasting neurological sequelae."
How to use sequelae
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishHealth problems left behind by an illness or injury.
When to use it
Technical medical vocabulary; in ordinary writing after-effects is clearer.
Memory tip
It takes a plural verb: the sequelae were mild, not the sequelae was mild.
Trace the full origin ↓
Easily confused with
Common pairings
long-term sequelae
neurological sequelae
post-infectious sequelae
without sequelae
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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
View more →Related words
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.
What is the meaning of sequelae?
"sequelae" (noun) means conditions or complications that persist or develop as a result of an earlier disease or injury.
