encephalitis
Americannoun
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inflammation of the substance of the brain.
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Also called encephalitis lethargica. a form of this condition, caused by a filterable virus and characterized by apathy and abnormal sleepiness; sleeping sickness.
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of encephalitis
Explanation
Encephalitis is a condition that causes the brain to swell and become irritated or inflamed. Most cases of encephalitis result from a virus. The term encephalitis comes from the Greek enkephalos, "brain," and the medical suffix -itis, used for diseases characterized by inflammation. Certain kinds of infections or disorders of the immune system can result in this inflammation of the brain. Encephalitis is quite rare, and though it's often so mild that it causes no symptoms, it can be serious.
Vocabulary lists containing encephalitis
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The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
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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.
In these cases, the virus affects the brain or nervous system and can cause encephalitis or meningitis, which can result in an infection of the brain or surrounding tissue.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
Anyone at any age can get encephalitis, with up to 6,000 cases in the UK each year and potentially hundreds of thousands worldwide, according to Encephalitis International.
From BBC ● Apr. 12, 2026
There are allusions to the tragedies that befell him: the loss of a young daughter to measles encephalitis and his son’s near-fatal accident.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 24, 2026
She added that Ford showed symptoms of both types of rabies - encephalitis and flaccid - which was unusual.
From BBC ● Mar. 3, 2026
My father, who worked as a clerk at the General Post Office of Calcutta, died of encephalitis when I was sixteen.
From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri
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.
