transmissible
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of transmissible
1635–45; < Latin trānsmiss ( us ) ( see transmission) + -ible
Explanation
Having a transmissible illness is a good excuse to stay home from school or work: it means that whatever bug you have spreads very easily to other people. The dangerous thing about viruses like polio, smallpox, Covid-19, and the flu is that they're extremely transmissible, spreading easily from person to person. Depending on the pathogen, this happens when a sick person sneezes, coughs, or touches a surface with germy fingers. The Latin root of transmissible is transmittere, "transfer or send across," from trans-, "across," and mittere, "to send or throw."
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.
So-called gain-of-function research can theoretically make viruses more transmissible or more deadly.
From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026
It requires close contact of less than one meter for 30 minutes, he said, adding that hantavirus is "much less transmissible" than Covid-19 or the flu.
From Barron's ● May 15, 2026
Namely, that this virus is far less transmissible.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 11, 2026
But the 18-year-old said she and her friends had become less worried, as they now know "meningitis is not very transmissible".
From BBC ● Mar. 20, 2026
It is evident that tea produces a grave form of neurasthenia readily transmissible to descendants.
From Degeneracy Its Causes, Signs and Results by Eugene S. Talbot
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