outbreak
Americannoun
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a sudden breaking out or occurrence, especially of something bad or unpleasant; eruption.
the outbreak of war.
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a sudden and active manifestation.
an outbreak of hives.
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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.
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an outburst.
an outbreak of temper.
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an insurrection, revolt, or mutiny.
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a public disturbance; riot.
noun
Etymology
Origin of outbreak
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.
Vocabulary lists containing outbreak
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
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Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 6
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“Vaccine Controversy Shows Why We Need Markets, Not Mandates” by Ron Paul
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A suspected outbreak of hantavirus, a rare but deadly disease that attacks the lungs, has left three people dead and several others severely ill aboard a luxury cruise ship.
From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026
A Dutch cruise ship with a hantavirus outbreak on board is to sail to the Canary Islands, Spain has said.
From BBC • May 5, 2026
U.S. stock futures edged higher on hopes the U.S. and Iran can avoid resuming their full-scale war, a day after an outbreak of fighting in the Persian Gulf.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026
A cruise ship with a fatal hantavirus outbreak is set to head toward Spain’s Canary Islands, where health officials plan to inspect the vessel and the passengers before allowing anyone to disembark.
From MarketWatch • May 5, 2026
From the dining-room there came the sound of the dinner bell and a sudden glad outbreak of talking.
From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
