superspreading event

or su·per-spread·ing e·vent

[ soo-per-spred-ing i-vent ]

noun

1. Pathology. an incidence of transmission of a highly active contagion to a larger number of people than average, often characterized by explosive growth of contracted illness early in an outbreak and sustained transmission thereafter:

   Our findings strongly suggest that a superspreading event occurred during the wedding, as a number of the guests have fallen ill and are testing positive for the virus.

2. a social event or other, usually large, gathering of people that results in, or is likely to result in, a significant spreading of a highly active contagion, as during a pandemic:

   I support the home team as much as I ever did, but I won’t be attending any superspreading events.

Word History and Origins

Origin of superspreading event¹

First recorded in 1990–95

Example Sentences

If the festival turns out to be a superspreading event, there could be significant trickle-down effects.

From Time

He says the worst superspreading events are crowded, indoors, feature poor ventilation, and keep people together for long periods of time—especially if they’re vocalizing, and even more so if they’re singing or shouting.

From Popular-Science

These precautions are important, but any gathering that brings thousands of people together has the potential to become a superspreading event.

From Popular-Science

In that model, many more people became infected through superspreading events.

From MIT Technology Review

We know that superspreading events are a major component of transmission.

From MIT Technology Review