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Synonyms

HIV

American  

abbreviation

  1. human immunodeficiency virus. AIDS virus

HIV British  

abbreviation

  1. human immunodeficiency virus; the cause of AIDS. Two strains have been identified: HIV-1 and HIV-2

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
HIV Scientific  
/ āch′ī-vē′ /

  1. Short for human immunodeficiency virus. Any of various strains of a retrovirus of the genus Lentivirus that cause AIDS by infecting the body's immune system.

HIV Cultural  

  1. An abbreviation for h uman i mmunodeficiency v irus, the virus that causes AIDS.

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 other moment where West loses his composure is in recalling the 1991 HIV diagnosis of Mr. Johnson, who, thankfully, contributes much here.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

Chandio was replaced by Buzdar, who told the BBC that HIV was his "main focus" when he took the job in March 2025 and that he had a "zero tolerance" policy for unsafe infection control.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

Scientists have already long linked wildlife trade to specific outbreaks such as HIV, Ebola and COVID-19.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

Even before the researchers found out the brother had a CCR5 mutation, they had some hope that the Oslo patient's HIV could be cured.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

They defeated HIV, purged it from their bodies, and went on to live healthy lives.

From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell

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.