outbreak

American  

[out-breyk] / ˈaʊtˌbreɪk /

noun

1. a sudden breaking break 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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Etymology

Origin of outbreak

First recorded in 1595–1605; out- + break

Example Sentences

Finding better ways to limit flu outbreaks remains a major public health priority, according to Milton.

From Science Daily

Watering down the recommendations solves the wrong problem and risks turning local gaps into national outbreaks.

From MarketWatch

The island has experienced a widespread outbreak of mosquito-borne diseases in recent weeks with huge numbers of people affected by dengue fever and chikungunya.

From BBC

Iran has experienced several outbreaks of nationwide protests in recent years, most notably in 2022 over the death in custody of Mahsa Amini over the alleged breach of Iran's Islamic dress laws for women.

From Barron's

While Perkins doesn’t see an inflation outbreak as necessarily imminent, hotter economic conditions could reignite debate over whether monetary policy is restrictive enough in the second half of the year.

From Barron's

Related Words

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