outbreak

American  

[out-breyk] / ˈaʊtˌbreɪk /

noun

• outbreaks
  plural

1. a sudden breaking out or occurrence, especially of something bad or unpleasant; eruption.

   the outbreak of war.

2. a sudden and active manifestation.

   an outbreak of hives.

3. a sudden increase in the incidence of a disease or medical condition in a particular place or population: a worldwide polio outbreak in the early 1900s.

   a serious outbreak of malaria in northern Uganda;

   a worldwide polio outbreak in the early 1900s.

4. an outburst.

   an outbreak of temper.

5. an insurrection, revolt, or mutiny.

6. a public disturbance; riot.

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outbreak British  

/ ˈaʊtˌbreɪk /

noun

1. a sudden, violent, or spontaneous occurrence, esp of disease or strife

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• outbreaks
  plural

Etymology

Origin of outbreak

First recorded in 1595–1605; out- + break

Explanation

A sudden or abrupt onset of something really bad is an outbreak. You could experience an outbreak of measles or an outbreak of violence; either way, try to protect yourself. When you talk about an outbreak of something, it's almost always something terrible, or at least unwanted. You might hear about an outbreak of war in a distant country, or an outbreak of violence in a big city, or an outbreak of disease among farm animals. Outbreak started as a Middle English verb around 1300, becoming a noun meaning "eruption" about three hundred years later.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

outbreak outbreaks

The company was recently tied to a massive cyclosporiasis outbreak.

From Salon ● Aug. 27, 2026

While salmonella cases can happen any time, the UK outbreak involves a few specific, near-identical genetic clusters called t5.9411, t0.24068 and t5.9765.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

Eugène Ionesco’s play, currently running at American Repertory Theater, has the two actors sparring over ideas of alienation and belonging amid the outbreak of a metamorphic disorder.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

The outbreak of the Middle East war has dimmed those expectations after the hit to energy-intensive manufacturers, with the government now expecting growth of just 0.5 for 2026 as a whole.

From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026

In the capital cities of all the combatant nations, the outbreak of war was greeted with emotional displays of patriotism.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman

Cava Group said climbing customer traffic boosted its profit in the second quarter and that sales are already bouncing back from the impact of recent cyclospora outbreaks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

Genetic testing suggests all the infections are part of the same outbreak and there are similarities with previous outbreaks involving imported eggs.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

It filed for bankruptcy earlier this year after a series of listeria outbreaks in its factories last year led Walmart—its largest customer—to end the relationship.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

But there may be another reason, too, said Jim Farrar, director of the UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program: State laws and local ordinances that have banned certain rodenticides could be inadvertently fueling typhoid outbreaks.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026

He was a great believer in maps, and his offices always contained many maps hung on the walls, showing locations of outbreaks of virus.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston

Related Words

• crash
• disruption
• epidemic
• eruption
• explosion
• flare-up
• onset
• plague
• storm
• surge
• uprising