Etymologically
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chronic

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 12:43. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈkɹɒn.ɪk/ (UK); /ˈkɹɑ.nɪk/, /ˈkɹɒn.ɪk/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Old French cronique and directly borrowed from Latin chronicus,[2][3][4] from Ancient Greek χρονικός (khronikós, “of or concerning time”), from χρόνος (khrónos, “time”),[2][3][5] of uncertain origin.[2] The spelling chronic, after Latin, is from 1655.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Of diseases, lasting a long time: probably before 1425, in a translation of Chauliac's surgery, as cronic;[2][3] 1601 in the OED and MWU.[6][7]

Semantic evolution

The literal relating to time was rare and is obsolete (1605).[6][3] Of people, such as a chronic invalid, it is from 1842.[6] A vague disapproving sense, continuous or constant, came from the association with disease and later addiction (1860).[3][6] In informal British English, of very poor quality, the film was chronic, developed in the mid-19th century from the idea of endless tedium.[8] As slang for cannabis, it was popularized from 1992 by Dr Dre's album The Chronic.[3][7]

Timeline

  • c. 1425 – of diseases, long-lasting.[2]
  • 1655 – the spelling chronic.[2]
  • 1842 – of invalids.[6]
  • 1860 – constant (colloquial).[6]
  • 1992 – cannabis.[3][7]

Modern meaning

Adjective

  1. Of an illness, lasting a long time or recurring often.
  2. Having a habit or condition for a long time: a chronic liar.
  3. Continuing or recurring; persistent: a chronic shortage.
  4. (British, informal) Very bad.

Word family

  • chronically
  • chronicity
  • nonchronic
  • subchronic
  • chronic fatigue syndrome
  • chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b c d e f Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  8. ^ Cresswell, Julia (2021), Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins, 3rd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press