What does health mean?
Health denotes the condition of a person or organism, especially the absence of disease and the capacity to function normally. In modern usage it covers mental and emotional well-being as well as physical condition, so good health implies more than the absence of illness. The word also appears in broader judgments about a community, institution, or economy, as in public health or the health of the economy. Health is usually treated as an uncountable noun: a person is described as being in poor or excellent health rather than having “a health.” Its positive associations make it common in advice about exercise, diet, preventive care, and emotional resilience, while health care and public health use it in specialized social and institutional senses. Because health combines a straightforward physical idea with wider ideas of balance and well-being, it links personal condition to public life.
nounThe condition of a person or organism with respect to physical or mental well-being, especially the absence of disease or illness. By extension, it refers to the successful functioning or general condition of a person, community, institution, or system.
- The physical condition of a person or organism, especially in relation to disease or bodily function.
- General physical, mental, or emotional well-being.
- The condition, functioning, or prosperity of a community, institution, or system, especially when affected by adverse influences.
"A steady routine can protect both physical health and peace of mind."
"Regular exercise and adequate sleep are foundations of good health."
"The new funding is intended to improve the health of the local economy."
Rare and chiefly used for distinct states or conditions; in ordinary modern usage, health is treated as uncountable.
"The survey compares the healths of several very different communities."
From Old English for “whole,” health began as a promise of wholeness.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does health come from?
The noun comes from Old English hælþ, meaning “wholeness” or “health,” formed from hæl, the ancestral word for “whole.” During the Middle English period, the word continued to develop in its sense of physical condition and well-being. Heal, hale, and related forms descend from the same Germanic root.
Related word forms
How health is actually used
Health is usually an uncountable noun: people say that someone is in good or poor health rather than saying that they have “a health.” The word is also commonly used figuratively when describing the condition of an institution, community, or economy.
Easily confused with health
To heal means to recover from an illness or injury or to make someone recover; health names the resulting condition or state of well-being.