ILLNESS meaning: 1. a disease of the body or mind: 2. the state of being ill: 3. a disease of the body or mind: . Learn more. Learn how disease and illness differ in definition, cause, symptom, treatment, and impact. Disease is a specific medical condition, while illness is a broader state of poor health or feeling unwell. 3 meanings: 1. a disease or indisposition; sickness 2. a state of ill health 3. obsolete wickedness.... Click for more definitions. folk illness the experience of symptoms that are not identifiable with biomedical categories of disease; causes include natural forces, supernatural factors, interpersonal factors, and emotions. An example is susto, which is a Hispanic term for fright caused by a traumatic experience. Symptoms include listlessness, loss of appetite, and withdrawal. Curanderos (folk healers) treat the illness with prayers, rituals, and laying on of hands.
