: a disease of the human immune system that is characterized cytologically especially by reduction in the numbers of CD4-bearing helper T cells to 20 percent or less of normal thereby rendering the subject highly vulnerable to life-threatening conditions (such as Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia) and to some (such as Kaposi's sarcoma) that become life-threatening and that is caused by infection with HIV commonly transmitted in infected blood especially during illicit intravenous drug use and in bodily secretions (such as semen) during sexual intercourse
Examples of AIDS in a Sentence
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For example, the New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute has information for providers.
—
Zach Dyer, NPR, 22 Dec. 2025
The family of four posed together at the Woodside End of Summer party in Windsor, England that benefited the Elton John AIDS Foundation in 2014.
—Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 21 Dec. 2025
Salk also gave it to his own children, including his eldest son, Peter, then 10 years old, who later worked with his father on trying to develop an AIDS vaccine.
—Carl Kurlander, The Conversation, 19 Dec. 2025
Cannon was also a volunteer with AIDS Legal Counsel of Chicago, STOP AIDS Chicago, Howard Brown Health, and the AIDS care unit at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 18 Dec. 2025
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Zach Dyer, NPR, 22 Dec. 2025
The family of four posed together at the Woodside End of Summer party in Windsor, England that benefited the Elton John AIDS Foundation in 2014.
—Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 21 Dec. 2025
Salk also gave it to his own children, including his eldest son, Peter, then 10 years old, who later worked with his father on trying to develop an AIDS vaccine.
—Carl Kurlander, The Conversation, 19 Dec. 2025
Cannon was also a volunteer with AIDS Legal Counsel of Chicago, STOP AIDS Chicago, Howard Brown Health, and the AIDS care unit at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 18 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for AIDS
Cite this Entry
“AIDS.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/AIDS. Accessed 24 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
AIDS
noun
: a serious disease of the human immune system marked by destruction of a large proportion of the helper T cells in the body due to infection by the HIV virus commonly transmitted especially in blood and semen
Medical Definition
AIDS
noun
: a disease of the human immune system that is characterized cytologically especially by a reduction in the numbers of CD4-bearing helper T cells to 20 percent or less of normal thereby rendering the subject highly vulnerable to life-threatening conditions (as Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia) and to some that become life threatening (as Kaposi's sarcoma) and that is caused by infection with HIV commonly transmitted in infected blood especially during illicit intravenous drug use and in bodily secretions (as semen) during sexual intercourse
called also acquired immune deficiency syndrome, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
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