infectious disease

American  

[in-fek-shuhs di-zeez] / ɪnˈfɛk ʃəs dɪˈziz /

noun

1. a disease caused by a bacterium, virus, or other microorganism, and often spreading by contact between individuals or by a vector such as an insect: ID

   Chicken pox and cholera are infectious diseases.

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infectious disease Scientific  

1. A disease caused by a microorganism or other agent, such as a bacterium, fungus, or virus, that enters the body of an organism.

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Etymology

Origin of infectious disease

First recorded in 1570–80

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

infectious disease

The breakthrough, described in the Nature portfolio journal Light: Science and Applications, could lead to advances in cancer research, drug development, infectious disease studies, and investigations of how plants interact with microorganisms.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026

"We know how to treat it," said Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease specialist at Toronto General Hospital.

From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026

The Kremlin today sought to play down concerns about the potential spread of an infectious disease, saying the infection was most likely not plague.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

"I think the measles very much contributed to that child's demise," said William Moss, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026

Now our major concern is no longer with the disease organisms that once were omnipresent; sanitation, better living conditions, and new drugs have given us a high degree of control over infectious disease.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

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