contagion
Americannoun
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the communication of disease by direct or indirect contact.
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a disease so communicated.
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the medium by which a contagious disease is transmitted.
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harmful or undesirable contact or influence.
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the ready transmission or spread as of an idea or emotion from person to person.
a contagion of fear.
noun
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the transmission of disease from one person to another by direct or indirect contact
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a contagious disease
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another name for contagium
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a corrupting or harmful influence that tends to spread; pollutant
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the spreading of an emotional or mental state among a number of people
the contagion of mirth
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The transmission of an infectious disease resulting from direct or indirect contact between individuals or animals.
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A disease that is transmitted in this way.
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The agent that causes a contagious disease, such as a bacterium or a virus.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of contagion
1350–1400; Middle English (< Middle French ) < Latin contāgiōn- (stem of contāgiō ) contact, infection, equivalent to con- con- + tāg- (variant stem of tangere to touch) + -iōn- -ion; cf. contact
Explanation
Have you ever noticed how when one person yawns, the people around him tend to do so as well? This phenomenon can be described as a contagion, the spreading of an emotional or mental state (in this case, fatigue). Contagion can apply not only to the spread of emotions but also to the spread of disease. If you’re feeling sick, you should stay home to reduce the risk of contagion. (Be sure to use the word contagion when you call in sick; it’s a great opportunity to impress people with your vocabulary.) Contagion is akin to the word contagious, an adjective describing things that spread from person to person, like certain diseases... and yawning.
Vocabulary lists containing contagion
"The Masque of the Red Death" by Edgar Allan Poe
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Common Senses: Tact, Tang ("Touch")
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Between Shades of Gray
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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 World Health Organization has scrambled to reassure the world that the outbreak was not a repeat of the Covid pandemic, stressing that contagion was very rare.
From Barron's • May 18, 2026
“Higher energy prices have rapidly passed through to create grim inflation headlines, but for now, contagion into other prices remains largely absent,” said Michael Metcalfe, head of macroeconomic strategy at State Street Markets.
From MarketWatch • May 11, 2026
But WHO officials insisted that the risk of wider contagion was low "because of how the virus works".
From BBC • May 11, 2026
While the contagion risk is low, the flare-up has sparked fears of another pandemic akin to Covid.
From Barron's • May 8, 2026
Emotional contagion, though, suggests that the opposite is also true.
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.
