cholecystitis

noun

cho·​le·​cys·​ti·​tis ˌkō-lə-(ˌ)si-ˈstī-təs How to pronounce cholecystitis (audio)
: inflammation of the gallbladder

Examples of cholecystitis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Treatment of cholecystitis often involves the removal of the gallbladder. — Robin Elise Weiss, Phd, Parents, 1 July 2024 While an ultrasound couldn't confirm it, there was a strong suspicion of cholecystitis, an infection that makes gallstones even more dangerous. — Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025 According to prison records, the cause of death was cardiac arrest combined with acute cholecystitis, a gallbladder infection that is often the product of trauma. — Joan Acocella, The New Yorker, 22 July 2019 The 87-year-old justice underwent non-surgical treatment for what the court described as acute cholecystitis, a benign gall bladder condition, at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. — Mark Sherman, Anchorage Daily News, 6 May 2020

Word History

Etymology

cholecyst "gall bladder" (borrowed from New Latin choilecystis, from chole- chole- + -cystis -cyst) + -itis

First Known Use

1866, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cholecystitis was in 1866

Rhymes for cholecystitis

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Browse Nearby Words

cholecystectomy
cholecystitis
cholecystographic
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Cite this Entry

“Cholecystitis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cholecystitis. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Medical Definition

cholecystitis

noun
cho·​le·​cys·​ti·​tis -(ˌ)sis-ˈtīt-əs How to pronounce cholecystitis (audio)
plural cholecystitides -ˈtit-ə-ˌdēz How to pronounce cholecystitis (audio)
: inflammation of the gallbladder

More from Merriam-Webster on cholecystitis

Nglish: Translation of cholecystitis for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cholecystitis

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