human papillomavirus

American  

[hyoo-muhn pap-uh-loh-muh-vahy-ruhs] / ˈhju mən ˌpæp əˈloʊ məˌvaɪ rəs /

noun

human papillomaviruses plural

1. any papillomavirus infecting humans and having certain genotypes that cause cancerous growths or lesions, especially on the cervix: HPV.

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human papillomavirus Scientific  

/ păp′ə-lō′mə-vī′rəs /

1. A virus of the genus Papillomavirus, certain strains of which cause skin and genital warts in humans or are associated with various cancers, including cancers of the cervix, vagina, and larynx.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• human papillomaviruses
  plural

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

human papillomavirus

Doctors typically swab a patient’s cervix in clinical settings to test for high-risk strains of the human papillomavirus, an infection that can cause cancer when left untreated, through Pap smears and HPV testing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 5, 2026

Cervical screening involves testing for HPV, human papillomavirus.

From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2025

The human papillomavirus, or HPV, causes nearly all cases of cervical cancer.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 27, 2024

He also challenged Gardasil, the vaccine that protects against human papillomavirus and is credited with slashing rates of cervical cancer in young women.

From Science Magazine ● Nov. 26, 2024

The bill also would cover the cost of human papillomavirus, or HPV, vaccinations for children under 18.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 22, 2023