contagion

American  

[kuhn-tey-juhn] / kənˈteɪ dʒən /

noun

• contagions
  plural

1. the communication of disease by direct or indirect contact.

2. a disease so communicated.

3. the medium by which a contagious disease is transmitted.

4. harmful or undesirable contact or influence.

5. the ready transmission or spread as of an idea or emotion from person to person.

   a contagion of fear.

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contagion British  

/ kənˈteɪdʒən /

noun

1. the transmission of disease from one person to another by direct or indirect contact

2. a contagious disease

3. another name for contagium

4. a corrupting or harmful influence that tends to spread; pollutant

5. the spreading of an emotional or mental state among a number of people

   the contagion of mirth

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contagion Scientific  

/ kən-tā′jən /

1. The transmission of an infectious disease resulting from direct or indirect contact between individuals or animals.

2. A disease that is transmitted in this way.

3. The agent that causes a contagious disease, such as a bacterium or a virus.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• noncontagion
  noun
• contagioned
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• contagions
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

contagion contagions

She cautioned that "if tensions were to arise on that front, for example in the event of a change in interest rates or market sentiment, contagion effects could be set in motion".

From Barron's ● Jun. 28, 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 the contagion risk is still a mystery.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 9, 2026

"The risk of contagion for the general population is low," health minister Mónica García repeated on Saturday.

From BBC ● May 9, 2026

Emotional contagion, though, suggests that the opposite is also true.

From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell

Whether caused by geopolitical conflict, health contagions or extreme weather, supply-chain crises will likely be a permanent fixture of the economy until global supply chains build in greater resilience.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 3, 2026

Long ties, which are created through randomly rewired edges that make them 'longer,' accelerate the spread of social contagions.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 23, 2024

The idea is that NTT's e-nose can be used not just to sniff out any contagions, but also how fresh - or not - a foodstuff is.

From BBC ● Nov. 22, 2023

"Nevertheless, observations and analysis show that, despite the high level of contagions, the level of hospitalizations is low enough and this does not have an impact on the decrease of the demand," he said.

From Reuters ● Jan. 4, 2022

Slant continues his vigilant practices against its depredations; but other contagions have settled upon us in its wake.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

Related Words

• contamination
• illness
• pollution
• virus