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Medical Terminology Lookup
Plain-language definitions for common medical terms you might hear from a care team.
What this answers:
- What does a medical term I've heard actually mean, in plain language?
This is a small, originally written reference of common terms — not a diagnosis, and not a substitute for asking your care team about your own situation. For authoritative, in-depth patient education, see resources such as MedlinePlus.
Reviewed: September 28, 2026.
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- Hypertension — Cardiovascular
- Persistently elevated blood pressure, commonly called high blood pressure.
- Hypotension — Cardiovascular
- Abnormally low blood pressure.
- Hyperlipidemia — Cardiovascular
- Elevated levels of fats (lipids), such as cholesterol, in the blood.
- Hyperglycemia — Metabolic
- An elevated blood glucose (sugar) level.
- Hypoglycemia — Metabolic
- An abnormally low blood glucose (sugar) level.
- Edema — General
- Swelling caused by excess fluid trapped in body tissues.
- Dyspnea — Respiratory
- Difficulty or discomfort with breathing; shortness of breath.
- Tachycardia — Cardiovascular
- An abnormally fast heart rate.
- Bradycardia — Cardiovascular
- An abnormally slow heart rate.
- Arrhythmia — Cardiovascular
- An irregular heartbeat rhythm.
- Comorbidity — General
- The presence of one or more additional health conditions alongside a primary condition.
- Prognosis — General
- A clinician's forecast of the likely course or outcome of a condition.
- Etiology — General
- The cause or origin of a disease or condition.
- Idiopathic — General
- Of unknown cause.
- Chronic — General
- A condition that is long-lasting or recurring, typically over months or years.
- Acute — General
- A condition with a sudden onset, typically short in duration.
- Benign — Oncology
- Not cancerous or harmful; not aggressive.
- Malignant — Oncology
- Cancerous; tending to spread and worsen.
- Asymptomatic — General
- Showing no symptoms.
- Palliative — Care approach
- Care focused on relieving symptoms and improving comfort, rather than curing a condition.
- Remission — General
- A period during which a disease's signs and symptoms are reduced or absent.
- Relapse — General
- The return of a disease or its symptoms after a period of improvement.
- Contraindication — General
- A specific situation in which a treatment, procedure, or medication should be avoided.
- Titrate — General
- To gradually adjust the amount or dose of something, often a medication, up or down.
- Baseline — General
- A patient's normal or starting measurement, used for later comparison.
- Screening — Preventive care
- A test or exam performed to look for a condition before symptoms appear.
- Referral — Care coordination
- A recommendation from one clinician for a patient to see another provider or specialist.
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