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

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

Pope Francis, who has been battling pneumonia and bronchitis for more than three weeks, has shown a "good response" to treatment, the Vatican has said.

From BBC • Mar. 8, 2025

“Remember when you had bronchitis and were too sick to go to that skit a bunch of us put on in second grade?”

From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon