bronchitis

American  

[brong-kahy-tis] / brɒŋˈkaɪ tɪs /

noun

Pathology.

1. acute or chronic inflammation of the membrane lining of the bronchial tubes, caused by respiratory infection or exposure to bronchial irritants, as cigarette smoke.

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bronchitis British  

/ brɒŋˈkɪtɪk, brɒŋˈkaɪtɪs /

noun

1. inflammation of the bronchial tubes, characterized by coughing, difficulty in breathing, etc, caused by infection or irritation of the respiratory tract

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bronchitis Scientific  

/ brŏng-kī′tĭs /

1. Inflammation of the mucous membrane of the bronchial tubes, often as a result of a cold or other viral infection. Smoking is also a common cause of chronic bronchitis.

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Other Word Forms

• bronchitic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of bronchitis

From New Latin, dating back to 1812; see origin at bronch-, -itis

Compare meaning

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

• laryngitis vs. bronchitis

Example Sentences

The infant had bronchitis, he said, and was unresponsive for hours before being discharged.

From Salon • Feb. 20, 2026

His son, Ali, said he worked as a security guard at the plant but left in 2020 with severe bronchitis.

From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026

“As many of you know I recently went through six weeks of bronchitis followed by a relapse of another five weeks,” Manilow wrote in the statement.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 22, 2025

For years, Gracie lived with plastic bronchitis, a condition that causes thick, protein-like material to build up in the airways.

From Science Daily • Dec. 19, 2025

The word smog won't be coined until early the next century, but the air is so toxic that hundreds of Londoners die from bronchitis the year Vincent arrives.

From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman