NEWS Health News Word of the Week: Acute By Team Verywell Health Updated on February 12, 2022 Fact checked by Heather Mercer Share Tweet Email Print Alex Dos Diaz / Verywell Each week, Verywell explains a term from health, medicine, science, or technology. Acute How to say it: Acute (ah-KEWT) What it means: Coming on suddenly or severely. Where it comes from: From Latin, acūtus, a sharpened point; a violent onset. Pixabay Where you might see or hear it: Many health conditions can be described as being acute, meaning that they last a short time (compared to a chronic condition, which lasts a long time). When you might want to use it: One example of an acute illness that many people are familiar with is appendicitis. It tends to come on suddenly and severely, and typically only lasts a short while (and is solved by having your appendix removed). Acute vs. Subacute Pain Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Merriam-Webster. Definition of acute. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Medical Expert Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit