Origin: Germanic Old English suffix
Deafness has 2 different meanings across 1 category:
partial or complete loss of hearing
"After years of exposure to loud machinery, he began to struggle with a gradual deafness that made conversation difficult in noisy rooms."
The condition of being deaf; the lack or loss of the ability to hear.
"After years of struggling in noisy classrooms, she finally accepted her diagnosis of deafness and began learning sign language."