contagious disease

Cultural

An infectious disease that is spread through contact with infected individuals; also called a communicable disease. Contact with the bodily secretions of such individuals, or with objects that they have contaminated, can also spread this kind of disease.

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 highly contagious disease spread quickly across undervaccinated communities along the Utah-Arizona border last summer.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 13, 2026

"They didn't even consider the possibility of having such a contagious disease," he added.

From Barron's • May 6, 2026

This year, the highly contagious disease has been reported at schools, airports and Disneyland.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 9, 2026

He looked utterly miserable, sitting there like a man with a contagious disease.

From BBC • Nov. 24, 2025

SAD is an extremely contagious disease that causes total memory loss in those who contract it.

From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023