health

health — noun

1. the state of a person's physical body and mind, especially whether they are well

1.nounA1
Definition

the state of a person's physical body and mind, especially whether they are well, ill, or injured

Example

Tomás visits the doctor each year to check his health.

Eating fruit and vegetables is good for your health.

collocation: good for your health

Common collocations
  • good health
  • poor health
  • mental health
  • physical health
  • in good health
Synonyms
  • wellbeing

    broader term that includes happiness and life satisfaction, not just physical condition

  • fitness

    focuses on physical strength and the ability to exercise, rather than general condition

Antonyms
  • illness

    the state of being sick, the opposite of good health

Common Mistakes

I need to improve my healths.
I need to improve my health.
health is uncountable and has no plural form.

2. the system of medical services, treatments, and public programs that exist to ke

2.nounB1
Definition

the system of medical services, treatments, and public programs that exist to keep people healthy and treat illness

Example

The government spends a lot of money on health each year.

Beatrix works in the health field as a nurse in a big hospital.

health field meaning the medical profession

Common collocations
  • health care
  • health service
  • health system
  • public health
  • health worker
Synonyms
  • healthcare

    more specific term for the medical services themselves, commonly written as one word

  • medicine

    broader field that includes study, research, and practice of treating illness

Usage Note

This sense is almost always used in compound nouns such as health care, health service, health system, or health worker. It refers to the industry or sector, not a person's condition.

Common Mistakes

I went to the health to see a doctor.
I went to the hospital to see a doctor.
health as 'medical services' is not a place you visit; it describes the field or system.

3. how well a business, economy, or other changing system is performing

3.nounB2
Definition

how well a business, economy, or other changing system is performing

Example

The health of the company depends on how many products it sells.

Farmers worry about the health of their crops after heavy rain.

collocation: health of [system / organisation]

Common collocations
  • health of the economy
  • financial health
  • health of the company
  • health of the system
Synonyms
  • condition

    more general term; health adds a sense of normal functioning vs. decline

  • state

    neutral term without the implication of good or bad performance

  • wellbeing

    used metaphorically for organisations, especially in business writing

Usage Note

Used with of + noun phrase. The subject is typically an abstract system or organisation — economy, company, project, environment, democracy. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 is about a person; sense 3 is about a non-living system.

Idioms

a clean bill of health

idiom

A statement that someone is healthy or that something is in good condition.

After the checkup, the doctor gave Maya a clean bill of health.

The inspector gave the old bridge a clean bill of health last week.

drink somebody’s health

idiom

To raise your glass and drink to show good wishes for someone's health.

At the party, we all drank to Grandma's health.

Did you drink to your friend's health at the celebration?

your (very) good health!

idiom

A phrase said before drinking alcohol to wish someone health and happiness.

He raised his glass and said, "Your very good health!"

"Your good health!" she exclaimed before taking a sip.

in rude health

idiom

Looking or feeling extremely healthy and strong.

After months of training, Diego was in rude health.

The garden plants are in rude health this spring.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While health, wellbeing, fitness, and wellness all relate to a person's condition, they emphasise different aspects. Health is the broadest term — it covers the physical and mental condition of a person, especially whether they are free from illness. Wellbeing goes beyond the body to include emotional comfort, life satisfaction, and social connection; a person can be physically healthy but have low wellbeing. Fitness is narrower — it specifically refers to the body's strength, endurance, and ability to perform physical activity. Wellness is a more modern, holistic term that overlaps with wellbeing but often appears in lifestyle contexts (wellness programmes, wellness retreats). For everyday use, health is the default word. Use wellbeing when discussing happiness or quality of life, fitness when talking about exercise and stamina, and wellness in health-promotion or self-care settings.

wellbeingfitness ↗wellness ↗

Common collocations

Prepositions

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

From Old English hælþ, meaning 'wholeness, being well or uninjured'. It comes from the same ancient root as whole and hale — the core idea was not just 'not sick' but 'complete and sound in every part'. The word has been used for the condition of the body since the 13th century, and its wider use for the state of organisations or systems developed in the 20th century.