social disease
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of social disease
First recorded in 1915–20
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.
Until recently, it was considered a social disease and was illegal except in limited circumstances.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 11, 2026
William Osler, often described as the father of modern medicine, put it like this: “Tuberculosis is a social disease with a medical aspect.”
From Salon ● Feb. 21, 2025
Antisemitism, like Anti-Arabism and racism, is a social disease that can be confronted only by us standing together, Syrian- and Israeli-sympathizing Americans alike.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 3, 2022
"A kid is not going to get head lice unless he or she has friends. This is a social disease."
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2015
The immediate peril was over; but another symptom had appeared of the social disease which would soon end in death unless some remedy could be found.
From Caesar: a Sketch by Froude, James Anthony
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.
