Terminally Ill (also known as Ill, Terminally): Persons with an incurable or irreversible illness at the end stage that will result in death within a short time. (From O'Leary et al., Lexikon: Dictionary of Health Care Terms, Organizations, and Acronyms for the Era of Reform, 1994, p780)

NIH MeSH · D019452Named Groups

Terminally Ill

Also known asIll, Terminally

Definition

Persons with an incurable or irreversible illness at the end stage that will result in death within a short time. (From O'Leary et al., Lexikon: Dictionary of Health Care Terms, Organizations, and Acronyms for the Era of Reform, 1994, p780)

MeSH classification

  • M01.873

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Common questions about Terminally Ill

What does Terminally Ill mean in medicine?
Persons with an incurable or irreversible illness at the end stage that will result in death within a short time. (From O'Leary et al., Lexikon: Dictionary of Health Care Terms, Organizations, and Acronyms for the Era of Reform, 1994, p780) This definition is taken from the National Library of Medicine's MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) 2026 release, which is the standard vocabulary used to index PubMed and most medical literature.
Is Terminally Ill known by any other names?
Yes. Terminally Ill is also referred to as Ill, Terminally in different clinical, research and patient-facing contexts. The MeSH descriptor groups all of these synonyms under a single canonical concept so research and records stay consistent.
Where does Terminally Ill sit in the medical classification?
Terminally Ill falls under the broader medical category "Named Groups" in the MeSH hierarchy (tree numbers: M01.873). Browsing the related concepts on this page takes you to neighbouring topics in the same branch of medicine.
Where can I get a plain-language explanation of Terminally Ill?
For a plain-language explanation of Terminally Ill - including symptoms, treatments and what it means for an Indian patient - ask GoDavaii's Health AI. It works in 22+ Indian languages, is free and needs no signup. Tap "Ask GoDavaii AI about Terminally Ill" above.

Source: NIH MeSH 2026 (D019452) — National Library of Medicine, public domain. View official MeSH record ↗