septic

American  

[sep-tik] / ˈsɛp tɪk /

adjective

1. Pathology.

   1. relating to, caused by, or affected by sepsis or infection.

      Adequate and prompt antibiotic therapy is essential for a septic patient.

      She was admitted to the hospital with septic shock.

   2. causing sepsis or infection.

      If care is not taken, there is the potential for introducing septic agents through injection.

2. relating to or designed for the treatment of sewage by anaerobic bacteria.

   The rural property, just shy of three acres, is on a private well and septic system.

   Contamination of the bay may be a result of insufficient septic drainfields or faulty sewer lines or pumping stations.

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noun

Informal.

1. a septic tank or septic system.

   They were able to get to my house the next day, drain the septic, and fix the sump pump.

   Here’s what to do if your septic is leaking.

septic British  

/ sɛpˈtɪsɪtɪ, ˈsɛptɪk /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or caused by sepsis

2. of, relating to, or caused by putrefaction

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noun

1. informal short for septic tank

Other Word Forms

• nonseptic
  adjective
• septically
  adverb
• septicity
  noun

Etymology

Origin of septic

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin sēpticus, from Greek sēptikós, from sēpt(ós) “rotted” (from sḗpein “to make rotten”; cf. sepsis ( def. )) + -ikos -ic

Compare meaning

How does septic compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• septic vs. aseptic

Explanation

Septic is connected to dangerous waste products. If your house is not connected to your town or city's sewer, your waste from drains and toilets goes into a septic tank. Derived from a Greek word meaning "rotten," septic can indicate that something is infected. When a hospital patient goes into "septic shock," it means that their body, wracked by an infection, is starting to fail. People in septic shock are victims of a condition called sepsis.

Example Sentences

Lawsuits, countersuits and disputes are piling up over septic systems, property taxes, off-leash dogs and a growing list of community rules.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026

The EA said the "most ambitious option" tested involved removing all wastewater, including from septic tanks.

From BBC • May 20, 2026

Decommissioning his old cesspool and buying the new septic tank already cost almost $10,000, he said, and installation and testing could easily triple that.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026

I went into septic shock and spent over a month in a medically induced coma.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026

Maybe this wasn’t a snow day, or a free day, or a broken septic system like the one that had closed school for a whole week last year.

From "Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story" by Nora Raleigh Baskin

Related Words

• dangerous
• deadly
• destructive
• fatal
• lethal
• noxious
• pernicious
• toxic
• venomous
• vicious
• virulent