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

David Allison, the dean of the public-health school at Indiana University-Bloomington and an obesity researcher who, along with Peter Attia, has advised Rahal, frames it differently. —Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2025

There are seven late-stage studies on the pill, including five diabetes trials and two obesity studies. —Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 17 Apr. 2025

With increasing demand for obesity treatments, Eli Lilly is positioning itself as a leader alongside Novo Nordisk. —Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025

More than 74% of American adults have a condition that puts them at higher risk, ranging from asthma to obesity. —Alexander Tin, CBS News, 15 Apr. 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