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chron·ic (krŏnĭk)
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adj.
1. Of long duration; continuing: chronic money problems.
2. Lasting for a long period of time or marked by frequent recurrence, as certain diseases: chronic colitis.
3. Subject to a habit or pattern of behavior for a long time: a chronic liar.
[French chronique, from Latin chronicus, from Greek khronikos, of time, from khronos, time.]
chroni·cal·ly adv.
chro·nici·ty (krŏ-nĭsĭ-tē) n.
Synonyms: chronic, confirmed, habitual, inveterate
These adjectives describe people who have a longtime habit, behavior, or tendency: a chronic complainer; a confirmed alcoholic; a habitual cheat; an inveterate smoker.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2020 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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