Condition vs Disease
Difference between condition and disease is very useful to know as, in the field of medicine, the term condition is used invariably for disease, which confuses the other people. Strictly speaking, there is some difference between the two words in terms of their meanings and connotations. The word condition is used in the sense of ‘state’ or ‘an illness or a medical problem’. On the other hand, the word disease is used in the sense of ‘sickness’. Now, the word disease always carries a negative connotation as we are speaking of a sickness. However, the word condition, when used in the sense of ‘state,’ has both negative and positive connotations. The connotation depends on the context you use the word in. This is the main difference between the two words, condition and disease.
What does Condition mean?
The word condition is used in the sense of ‘state’ or ‘an illness or a medical problem.’ Take a look at the three sentences given below.
Her lung condition is very bad at the moment.
Francis looked at the miserable condition of his friend.
The child was in good condition when I left him.
In the first sentence, the word condition is used in the sense of ‘illness or a medical problem.’ Therefore, the sentence can be rewritten as ‘her lung illness is very bad at the moment.’ The second and third sentences use the word condition is the sense of state. Therefore, second sentence means ‘Francis looked at the miserable state of his friend’ and the third sentence means ‘the child was in good state when I left him.’ You can see how the adjectives miserable and good have made the word condition give negative and positive connotations respectively. It is interesting to note that the word condition is used as a noun, and it has its abstract noun in the form of the word ‘conditioning’.
What does Disease mean?
The word disease is used in the sense of sickness. On the other hand, the word disease is used in as a noun. Take a look at the following sentences.
Angela suffers from a peculiar disease.
Francis got his disease cured by taking medicines regularly.
In both the sentences, the word disease is used in the sense of ‘sickness.’ Hence, the meaning of the first sentence would be ‘Angela suffers from a peculiar sickness’, and the meaning of the second sentence would be ‘Francis got his sickness cured by taking medicine regularly’.
Sometimes, the word disease is used in the sense of ‘illness’ too as disease is a kind of illness. You can see that disease always gives a negative meaning, unlike condition.
However, disease does not only have a medical meaning. According to the Oxford English dictionary, it also means ‘a particular quality or disposition regarded as adversely affecting a person or group of people.’ For example,
The Nazis suffered from the disease of hatred towards Jews.
What is the difference between Condition and Disease?
• The word condition is used in the sense of ‘state’ or ‘an illness or a medical problem’.
• On the other hand, the word disease is used in the sense of ‘sickness’. It is also used in the sense of ‘illness’.
• Now, the word disease always carries a negative connotation as we are speaking of a sickness.
• However, the word condition, when used in the sense of ‘state,’ has both negative and positive connotations. The connotation depends on the context you use the word in.
• Condition is a noun. Its abstract noun form is conditioning.
• Disease also means a quality that is regarded as unfavourably affecting a person or a group of people.
• Disease is also a noun.
These are the important differences between the two words, namely, condition and disease and the writer and the speaker of English should use them correctly.