Erkrankung

German

Erkrankung f (genitive Erkrankung, plural Erkrankungen)

(slightly formal) the act or process of falling ill
(slightly formal) illness; disease
Synonym: Krankheit
- 1931, Arthur Schnitzler, Flucht in die Finsternis, S. Fischer Verlag, page 84:
  [...] und manche beglückwünschten ihn zu seiner Genesung in so scherzhaftem Ton, als hätten sie seine Erkrankung nie recht ernst genommen.
  [...] and some congratulated him on his recovery in such a jocular tone that it seemed they had never taken his illness quite seriously.

(illness, disease): Though Erkrankung may be used interchangeably with Krankheit, it tends to refer to an illness as it manifests itself in a particular afflicted person, rather than the type or syndrome as such.