meningitis

American  

[men-in-jahy-tis] / ˌmɛn ɪnˈdʒaɪ tɪs /

noun

Pathology.

meningitides plural

1. inflammation of the meninges, especially of the pia mater and arachnoid, caused by a bacterial or viral infection and characterized by high fever, severe headache, and stiff neck or back muscles.

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meningitis British  

/ ˌmɛnɪnˈdʒɪtɪk, ˌmɛnɪnˈdʒaɪtɪs /

noun

1. inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain or spinal cord, caused by infection

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meningitis Scientific  

/ mĕn′ĭn-jī′tĭs /

1. Inflammation of the meninges of the brain and the spinal cord, usually resulting from a bacterial or viral infection and often characterized by fever, vomiting, an intense headache, and a stiff neck.

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meningitis Cultural  

1. Inflammation of the meninges of the brain or spinal cord, most often resulting from a bacterial or viral infection.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• meningitic
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• meningitides
  plural

Etymology

Origin of meningitis

From New Latin, dating back to 1820–30; see origin at meninges, -itis

Explanation

Meningitis is an illness that causes the area around the brain and spinal cord to become inflamed. The symptoms of meningitis include fever and headache, along with neck stiffness. Meningitis is often serious because of how close the inflammation is to a patient's brain. The most common type of meningitis is caused by a virus, and others are caused by bacteria — several types can be prevented with immunizations. The word meningitis means "inflammation of the meninges," or the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, from a Greek root meaning "membrane."

Example Sentences

That work has helped develop new vaccines for meningitis and malaria, a new treatment for drug-resistant tuberculosis, and tools to improve women’s health.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 30, 2026

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, according to the CDC.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 30, 2026

Chase died following complications from meningitis and a blood infection that led to sepsis, her boyfriend told TMZ, which first reported the news.

From Salon • Jun. 19, 2026

The actor’s father, John David Schwallier, confirmed to the New York Times that Chase died in a hospital of complications from bacterial meningitis and a blood infection.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2026

He recognized the symptoms of some type of meningitis, an inflammation of the brain and spinal cord.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French