What it means
In a partial remission, a disease improves but is still present; in a complete remission, no signs of it can be found, though it may come back. The word is used for cancers and for chronic diseases that flare and settle, such as multiple sclerosisMUL-tih-pul skluh-ROH-sisA long-term disease in which the immune system damages the protective covering of nerves in the brain and spinal cord.scler/o hard-osis conditionFull entry , inflammatory bowel diseasein-FLAM-uh-tor-ee BOW-ul dih-ZEEZA group of long-term diseases, mainly Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis, in which the lining of the digestive tract becomes inflamed.Full entry and lupusLOO-pusSystemic lupus erythematosus: a long-term autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the body's own tissues.Full entry . A return of the disease is a relapseREE-lapsThe return of a disease or its symptoms after a period of improvement, or a return to substance use after a time without it.Full entry .
At a glance
| Spanish | remisión |
|---|---|
| Also written | remissions |
Easy to confuse with
relapse
The return of a disease or its symptoms after a period of improvement, or a return to substance use after a time without it.
Related terms
exacerbation
A time when a long-term disease suddenly gets worse, or its symptoms flare up.
chronic illness
A long-lasting health condition, usually of three months or more, that can be managed but often not cured.
relapse
The return of a disease or its symptoms after a period of improvement, or a return to substance use after a time without it.