afebrile

American  

[ey-fee-bruhl, ey-feb-ruhl] / eɪˈfi brəl, eɪˈfɛb rəl /

adjective

1. without fever; feverless.

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afebrile British  

/ eɪ-, æˈfiːbraɪl /

adjective

1. without fever

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Etymology

Origin of afebrile

First recorded in 1870–75; a- ⁶ + febrile

Compare meaning

How does afebrile compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• febrile vs. afebrile

Explanation

If you're ever feeling sick but not running a fever, then you're afebrile, meaning that you're fever free! Doctors and medical professionals use the term afebrile to describe someone who isn’t running a fever, even if they have other symptoms. The word comes from the Latin a-, meaning "without," and febris, meaning "fever." It’s a good sign when someone becomes afebrile after taking medicine because it means that the treatment is working.

Example Sentences

"He remained afebrile, always alert, cooperative with therapies and well-oriented", the statement said.

From BBC • Mar. 4, 2025

It really was a unique moment in the world of being afebrile, where you would normally assume you were better but realized you were still struggling.

From Salon • Apr. 5, 2020

The normal thinking is that if you're afebrile — no fever — is that we have won the battle and patients can begin healing.

From Salon • Apr. 5, 2020

If someone is afebrile and asymptomatic, they aren’t contagious.

From Forbes • Oct. 25, 2014

Drs. Jackson and Dott have testified from their own experience to the usefulness of the drug in chronic bronchitis, asthma and afebrile catarrh.

From The Medicinal Plants of the Philippines by Thomas, Jerome Beers