What does affliction mean?
Affliction is a formal English noun describing a state of sustained suffering — whether physical, as in chronic illness, or mental and emotional, as in grief or hardship. It can also refer to the thing that causes such suffering: a disease, a misfortune, or a prolonged trial. The word carries a weighty, often compassionate tone and appears most frequently in literary, religious, medical, and philosophical contexts rather than everyday speech. People speak of bearing afflictions with patience, or of afflictions that visit individuals and communities alike. Its relatives include the verb afflict, meaning to cause distress, and cognates such as inflict and conflict, all tracing back to a Latin root meaning to strike down. Because it names enduring hardship rather than momentary trouble, affliction remains a precise and dignified choice when writers wish to convey deep, lasting suffering with gravity and sympathy.
nounA state of pain, suffering, or distress, whether of body or mind; also, the cause of such suffering.
- A condition of persistent pain, illness, or distress affecting a person's body or mind.
- Something that causes suffering or hardship; a source of misery or trouble.
"The loss of her sight was an affliction she bore with remarkable grace."
"Arthritis is a painful affliction that affects millions of people worldwide."
"The village endured famine, flood, and other afflictions for nearly a decade."
The plural is commonly used when referring to multiple hardships or ailments, particularly in formal or religious writing.
"Job endured many afflictions yet kept his faith."
Affliction and conflict are siblings — both descend from the Latin fligere, 'to strike', so every affliction is, literally, a blow that has landed.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of affliction
Affliction comes from the Latin afflictio, meaning 'a striking down' or 'harassment', derived from affligere ('to strike against, to cast down'), itself formed from ad- ('against') plus fligere ('to strike'). The word entered English in the Middle Ages via Old French, where it carried strong religious overtones of spiritual trial and suffering. It shares its Latin root fligere with related English words including inflict, conflict, and afflict, making them true etymological cousins.
Related word forms
How affliction is actually used
Affliction is a formal, somewhat literary word, common in religious, medical, and philosophical writing. It carries a serious, often sympathetic connotation and is rarely used in casual conversation, where words like 'problem' or 'condition' would be more natural.
Easily confused with affliction
Afflict is the verb meaning to cause suffering, while affliction is the noun naming the suffering itself or its cause.
Infliction refers to the act of imposing something unwelcome (such as a punishment), whereas affliction denotes the state or experience of suffering.