obesity

noun

obe·​si·​ty ō-ˈbē-sə-tē 

: a condition characterized by the excessive accumulation and storage of fat in the body

Obesity affects not just appearance, but disease processes as well.

—Malorye Allison

Synonyms

• adiposity
• chubbiness
• corpulence
• corpulency
• embonpoint
• fat
• fatness
• fattiness
• fleshiness
• grossness
• plumpness
• portliness
• pudginess
• pursiness
• rotundity
• weight

Examples of obesity in a Sentence

obesity has been linked to a number of health risks, such as heart disease

Recent Examples on the Web

Moreover, chronic breathlessness can be due to multiple causes (e.g., obesity and heart failure). —Laura Campedelli, Verywell Health, 5 June 2025

Severe obesity diagnosed in a four-year-old can cut life expectancy in half; Type 2 diabetes, once an adult disease, now appears regularly in overweight teens. —Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 4 June 2025

There is evidence that phthalates increase the risk of metabolic disorders like obesity and Type 2 diabetes, which can cause cardiovascular disease. —The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 June 2025

The researchers recruited 64 people (32 women and 32 men) aged 20 to 65 with overweight or obesity. —Sarah Garone, Health, 29 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French obesité, borrowed from Latin obēsitāt-, obēsitās, from obēsus "fat, stout" + -itāt-, -itās -ity — more at obese

First Known Use

circa 1611, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing obesity

• anti-obesity

Medical Definition

obesity

noun

obe·​si·​ty ō-ˈbē-sət-ē 

plural obesities

: a condition that is characterized by excessive accumulation and storage of fat in the body and that in an adult is typically indicated by a body mass index of 30 or greater