CHRONICALLY

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does chronically mean? 

• CHRONICALLY (adverb)
  The adverb CHRONICALLY has 2 senses:

1. in a habitual and longstanding manner

2. in a slowly developing and long lasting manner

  Familiarity information: CHRONICALLY used as an adverb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CHRONICALLY (adverb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

In a habitual and longstanding manner

Synonyms:

chronically; inveterate

Context example:

smoking chronically

Sense 2

Meaning:

In a slowly developing and long lasting manner

Context example:

chronically ill persons

Antonym:

acutely (having a rapid onset)

Pertainym:

chronic (being long-lasting and recurrent or characterized by long suffering)

 Context examples 

Long-term care encompasses a broad range of help with daily activities that chronically disabled individuals need for a prolonged period of time.

(Long-Term Care for Elderly, NCI Thesaurus)

It might be for people who are getting older, are chronically ill, recovering from surgery, or disabled.

(Home Care Services, NIH)

Chronically depressed mood that occurs for most of the day more days than not for at least 2 years.

(Dysthymic Disorder, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

Caregiving is hard, and caregivers of chronically ill people often feel stress.

(Caregivers, Dept. of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health)

Nevertheless, until recently, researchers did not fully understand the role chronic active lesions play in the disease, in part, because it was difficult to find the ones that remain chronically inflamed.

(Smoldering spots in the brain may signal severe multiple sclerosis, National Institutes of Health)

In the sleep-deprived mouse brains, the astrocytes were found to be active across 8.4 percent of the synapses, and in the chronically sleep-deprived mice, a whopping 13.5 percent of their synapses showed astrocyte activity.

(Lack of Sleep Makes Brain to Literally Eat Itself, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

OxyContin Tablets are administered chronically to patients with cancer-related pain in a usual clinical setting.

(OxyContin, NCI Thesaurus)

In 2015 it was estimated that approximately 257 million people were chronically infected with HBV and 887,000 died due to associated complications such as liver cancer.

(Oldest genetic evidence of Hepatitis B virus found in ancient DNA from 4,500 year-old skeletons, University of Cambridge)

Complement deficiencies may also be acquired acutely post-infection or chronically from co-morbid autoimmune disorders.

(Complement Deficiency, NCI Thesaurus)

It is used as an industrial solvent in paints, varnishes, lacquer thinners, gasoline, etc. Benzene causes central nervous system damage acutely and bone marrow damage chronically and is carcinogenic.

(Benzene, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)