Definition: Used to describe a condition that is long-lived or ongoing. A chronic condition may come on slowly and last for a prolonged period of time. This is opposed to an acute condition, which is severe and/or short-lived.
Pronunciation: krŏn'ĭk
Examples:
The inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis) are chronic conditions because they are incurable diseases that have symptoms that come and go.
