outbreak
Americannoun
-
a sudden breaking out or occurrence, especially of something bad or unpleasant; eruption.
the outbreak of war.
-
a sudden and active manifestation.
an outbreak of hives.
-
a sudden increase in the incidence of a disease or medical condition in a particular place or population: a worldwide polio outbreak in the early 1900s.
a serious outbreak of malaria in northern Uganda;
a worldwide polio outbreak in the early 1900s.
-
an outburst.
an outbreak of temper.
-
an insurrection, revolt, or mutiny.
-
a public disturbance; riot.
noun
Etymology
Origin of outbreak
Explanation
A sudden or abrupt onset of something really bad is an outbreak. You could experience an outbreak of measles or an outbreak of violence; either way, try to protect yourself. When you talk about an outbreak of something, it's almost always something terrible, or at least unwanted. You might hear about an outbreak of war in a distant country, or an outbreak of violence in a big city, or an outbreak of disease among farm animals. Outbreak started as a Middle English verb around 1300, becoming a noun meaning "eruption" about three hundred years later.
Vocabulary lists containing outbreak
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 6
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
“Vaccine Controversy Shows Why We Need Markets, Not Mandates” by Ron Paul
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The CDC’s risk assessment was carried out by its Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics, which relied, in part, on new disease data from the outbreak in Texas.
From Salon • Mar. 29, 2025
In May, three people died from the organism in Karachi, Pakistan, according to Outbreak News Today.
From Washington Times • Jul. 5, 2023
That’s exactly what they got from Rico Nasty, the 25-year-old rapper who was headlining the latest stop of Monster Energy’s Outbreak Tour.
From Washington Post • Apr. 24, 2023
“It is like an early warning system for authorities to anticipate whether there’s a surge of infections coming in,” said Dr. Khoo Yoong Khean, a scientific officer at the Duke-NUS Centre of Outbreak in Singapore.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 5, 2023
Civil War: Effect on attendance, 298, 301; Political Sentiment, 299; Outbreak of war, 300; Student drill organized, 300; Alumni in, 302.
From The University of Michigan by Shaw, Wilfred
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
