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dolencia

ailment

noun doh-LEN-syah Rare
Body & Health Health & Illness

Also means

complaint

Usage Note

Dolencia refers to a chronic or persistent ailment, especially one that causes aching or discomfort rather than acute illness — closer to 'complaint' or 'condition' than 'disease'. It often appears in medical and journalistic contexts. The root dolor (pain) is the same as in doliente (grieving, suffering); contrast it with enfermedad, which implies a diagnosed disease.

Examples

"Sufre una dolencia crónica en la rodilla."

Natural Translation

She suffers from a chronic knee complaint.

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