pathogenic

American  

[path-uh-jen-ik] / ˌpæθ əˈdʒɛn ɪk /

adjective

1. Pathology. capable of producing disease.

   pathogenic bacteria.

---

pathogenic British  

/ ˌpæθəˈdʒɛnɪk /

adjective

1. able to cause or produce disease

   pathogenic bacteria

---

pathogenic Cultural  

1. A descriptive term for a thing or condition that can cause disease.

---

Other Word Forms

• antipathogenic adjective
• nonpathogenic adjective

Etymology

Origin of pathogenic

First recorded in 1850–55; patho- + -genic

Explanation

Something that's pathogenic makes you sick, like a virus you pick up after riding on a bus full of coughing people. Pathogenic is a medical term that describes viruses, bacteria, and other types of germs that can cause some kind of disease. The flu, various parasites, and athlete's foot fungus are all considered to be pathogenic. This word has been used since the late 1800s to mean "producing disease," from the French pathogénique, which in turn came from the Greek word for "disease," pathos.

Example Sentences

“There’s no pathogenic bacteria correlating us to anybody,” said McAfee.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

What has helped is that the threat of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu, has faded.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

Remarkably, Cal-Maine achieved these results during a time of volatile egg prices, continued vulnerability of flocks to the highly pathogenic avian influenza External link, and a weary consumer.

From Barron's • Dec. 11, 2025

"This finding suggests the existence of underlying physiological interactions between microclots and NETs that, when dysregulated, may become pathogenic," explains Dr. Thierry.

From Science Daily • Nov. 13, 2025

This old pathogenic role, which has been taught to all the medical and veterinary generations of our time, is quite true.

From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy