Remission

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɹɪˈmɪʃ(ə)n/

Definitions

1. A temporary or permanent decrease or disappearance of disease symptoms, especially in cancer or chronic illnesses
2. A phase marked by the reduction or absence of symptoms of a disease, especially in chronic conditions such as cancer, indicating a possible improvement or stabilization of health
3. A state characterized by a diminished or absent presentation of illness symptoms, particularly in long-term health conditions like cancer, suggesting possible healing or improvement

Etymology: The medical sense of "remission" is the youngest layer of a very old religious idea. Its core meaning was forgiveness: Latin "remissio" meant a release or sending back, and in Christian Latin it came to mean the pardoning of sins. Medieval English used the word for mercy, pardon, and release from penance, and for a release of captives or property. The sense of a lessening of intensity, including a lessening of disease, was already present in Latin and French, so the modern medical use grows from a meaning that was there from the start. The word is built from "re-", meaning back, and "mittere", to send, which gives the sense of sending something back or letting it go. The same idea of letting something loose is visible in the way a debt is released or a penalty is eased. Once the sense of easing or releasing was applied to the body, a sickness that loosened its grip became a sickness in remission.

Synonyms: abatement, relief, reprieve, pardon, forgiveness

Antonyms: punishment, penalty, retribution, condemnation, malady