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  

/ 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

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Etymology

Origin of meningitis

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

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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

See Examples For:

meningitis meningitides

"You don't have much time when dealing with meningitis and every hour counts in potentially saving your life."

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026

"We know that young people can be at increased risk of meningitis for a number of reasons," said Caroline Hughes from the Meningitis Research Foundation.

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026

Scientists say they have discovered why the bacteria responsible for the UK's worst outbreak of meningitis B in Kent earlier this year proved so dangerous.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

At the time, Stewart told Complex that Monroe contracted meningitis while filming in Las Vegas.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026

Others include smallpox, measles, cholera, meningitis, and leprosy, which is the most feared of all.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

The hugely successful 2010 introduction of a long-lasting vaccine against N. meningitides group A, which at the time caused 80% to 90% of all epidemics in Africa, shows the promise of vaccines.

From Science Magazine ● Oct. 7, 2021

Called Bexsero, the vaccine contains four antigens that target the more than 3,000 strains of subtype B Neisseria meningitides, the most common subtype in European meningitis cases.

From Nature ● Nov. 21, 2012

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