pathogenic

American  

[path-uh-jen-ik] / ˌpæθ əˈdʒɛn ɪk /

adjective

1. Pathology. capable of producing disease.

   pathogenic bacteria.

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pathogenic British  

/ ˌpæθəˈdʒɛnɪk /

adjective

1. able to cause or produce disease

   pathogenic bacteria

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pathogenic Cultural  

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

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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

See Examples For:

pathogenic

But despite its effectiveness in eliminating polio, the live virus occasionally mutated back into its pathogenic form, resulting in rare cases of vaccine-related polio—something that Sabin refused to acknowledge.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026

“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

"The 3D genome organization provides a powerful framework for predicting which genes are likely to be affected by these pathogenic variants," Yue said.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 8, 2026

The causative relation between pathogenic organisms and many diseases had been established through the brilliant work of Pasteur and Koch.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson