What does enteritis mean?
Enteritis is a medical noun denoting inflammation of the intestine, most often the small intestine. It is not a disease in itself but a description of tissue response to infection, radiation, autoimmune activity, or other irritants, and it typically presents with cramping abdominal pain, diarrhoea, nausea, and sometimes fever. Clinicians use the word both broadly and in specific combinations: 'regional enteritis' is an older name for Crohn's disease, while 'radiation enteritis' describes bowel damage following radiotherapy. The register is formal and clinical — you will meet it in medical reports, veterinary notes, and health journalism rather than casual conversation, where terms like 'stomach bug' prevail. Its Greek-derived '-itis' ending marks it unmistakably as an inflammation, linking it to familiar siblings such as gastritis and colitis, and making it a useful anchor for understanding medical vocabulary generally.
nounInflammation of the intestine, especially the small intestine, typically causing abdominal pain, diarrhoea, and vomiting.
- Inflammation of the intestine, particularly the small intestine, as a medical condition.
"The puppy was treated for enteritis after drinking contaminated water at the kennel."
"The vet diagnosed enteritis and prescribed fluids to combat the dehydration."
"Chronic regional enteritis, now better known as Crohn's disease, can affect any part of the digestive tract."
The classical plural follows the Greek-style '-itis' → '-itides' pattern shared with terms like 'arthritides'. It appears almost exclusively in specialist medical literature; ordinary usage treats the word as uncountable.
"The textbook chapter surveys the various infectious enteritides affecting livestock."
That '-itis' ending doctors use for nearly every inflammation — from arthritis to meningitis — comes straight from Greek, and enteritis was one of the words that helped cement it into modern medicine.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of enteritis
Enteritis derives from Greek 'enteron', meaning intestine or bowel, combined with the Greek suffix '-itis', which denotes inflammation. The compound entered scientific Latin before passing into English medical usage, becoming established by the early nineteenth century alongside other '-itis' terms coined during the rise of modern pathological anatomy. It shares its root with related medical vocabulary such as 'enteric', 'enterology', and the compound 'gastroenteritis'.
How enteritis is actually used
A clinical term used mainly in medical and veterinary contexts; in everyday speech people are more likely to say 'stomach upset' or name a specific condition such as gastroenteritis. In medicine it often appears in compounds naming the affected region, e.g. duodenitis-adjacent forms like regional enteritis (Crohn's disease).
Easily confused with enteritis
Gastroenteritis is inflammation of both the stomach and the intestines, whereas enteritis refers specifically to intestinal inflammation.
Colitis is inflammation of the colon (large intestine), while enteritis affects the intestine generally or the small intestine in particular.