What does -esis mean in medical terms?

-esis

Meaning: condition; action

Type: Suffix

A suffix goes at the very end of a word, after the root. On this page: what -esis means, and real medical words that use it, each broken down into its parts.

Example words using -esis

diuresis
di- (through) + ur (urine) + -esis (action) = increased urine production
enuresis
en- (in) + ur (urine) + -esis (condition) = involuntary urination

Shortened forms

Charts and notes shorten long terms — see the Medical Abbreviations guide for the short forms you will meet in real records.

Please note: This section teaches the language of medicine — what word parts mean and how terms are built. It is an educational reference, not medical advice. For the meaning of a word in your own medical record, ask the clinician who wrote it.