affliction

affliction [ uh'-FLIK-shuh'n ]
	[ noun ]
	MEANING :
	1. a condition or the cause of pain and suffering 2. grief or distress 3. a state of physical or mental distress
	USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
	Most of the villagers believed that their afflictions were the result of having done something that displeased their deity.
	USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
	Cardiovascular disease, the No. 1 cause of death in the United States, is actually a collection of diseases and conditions, not one particular affliction.