Definition

A medical condition characterized by inflammation in the ear.

Example

The doctor diagnosed her with otitis after she complained of ear pain.

Conversation

I heard you had to see a doctor about your ear problem.

Yeah, I was diagnosed with otitis last week.

That sounds painful; what did the doctor say?

He recommended some drops and said it should clear up soon.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Otitis is formed from "oto-" (from Greek "ous, otos", meaning ear) and "-itis" (from Greek "itis", meaning inflammation). The word refers to inflammation of the ear.

Memory Tip

Think of 'oto-' which relates to the ear, and '-itis' which indicates inflammation. This helps you remember that otitis means inflammation of the ear.

Visually Confused Words