gonorrhea

noun

gon·​or·​rhea ˌgä-nə-ˈrē-ə 

: a contagious inflammation of the genital mucous membrane caused by the gonococcus

called also clap

gonorrheal

ˌgä-nə-ˈrē-əl 

adjective

Examples of gonorrhea in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For instance, there is some concern that strains of gonorrhea may eventually develop resistance to gepotidacin, according to a comment paper published in April in The Lancet. —Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 12 Dec. 2025

There were more than 670,000 patients with syphilis and 100,000 with gonorrhea in China last year, according to the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration. —Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 12 Dec. 2025

Louisiana already has one of the highest rates of HIV, chlamydia and gonorrhea in the country. —Amy Maxmen, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2025

Among the most widespread ones are human papillomavirus (HPV), chlamydia and syphilis, with gonorrhea also ranking high on the list. —Daryl Austin, USA Today, 10 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Late Latin, morbid loss of semen, from Greek gonorrhoia, from gon- + -rrhoia -rrhea

First Known Use

circa 1526, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for gonorrhea

• aliya
• aliyah
• althea
• apnoea
• coffea
• dyspnea
• dyspnoea
• hosea
• idea
• kshatriya
• maria
• medea

Kids Definition

gonorrhea

noun

gon·​or·​rhea ˌgän-ə-ˈrē-ə 

: a contagious inflammatory venereal disease of the genital and urinary organs that is caused by the gonococcus

called also clap

gonorrheal

-ˈrē-əl 

adjective

Medical Definition

gonorrhea

noun

gon·​or·​rhea

variants or chiefly British gonorrhoea

ˌgän-ə-ˈrē-ə 

: a contagious inflammation of the genital mucous membrane caused by the gonococcus

called also clap

gonorrheal adjective

or chiefly British gonorrhoeal

-ˈrē-əl