Definition of AFFLICTIONS (original) (raw)
1
: a cause of persistent pain or distress
2
: great suffering
felt empathy with their affliction
3
: the state of being afflicted by something that causes suffering
her affliction with polio
Synonyms
Examples of affliction in a Sentence
She lost her sight and is now learning to live with her affliction. He died from a mysterious affliction.
Recent Examples on the Web The French philosopher Simone Weil was a soul at odds with herself and with a world of affliction. —
Judith Thurman, The New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2024 This is a fitness affliction shaped by my genetics, not a reflection of my laziness and hate of stretching. —Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 14 Aug. 2024 In the surrealist drama Fishtank, which won the grand prize in the Tribeca Chanel Through Her Lens program, a young woman named Jules (Tiffany Chu), coming to terms with her year-long sobriety, finds herself with a new affliction: vomiting up goldfish when triggered by anxiety. —Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2024 Men Have Called Her Crazy is a story about recovery, and Tendler seems to see men as one of her foremost afflictions. —Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 16 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for affliction 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'affliction.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Middle English affliccioun "misery, distress, self-inflicted pain," borrowed from Anglo-French afflicion, borrowed from Late Latin afflīctiōn-, afflīctiō, from Latin afflīgere "to afflict" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of action nouns
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3
Time Traveler
The first known use of affliction was in the 14th century
Dictionary Entries Near affliction
Cite this Entry
“Affliction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/affliction. Accessed 27 Sep. 2024.
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Last Updated: 20 Sep 2024 - Updated example sentences
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