aids

1 of 2

present tense third-person singular of aid entry 1

plural of aid entry 2

AIDS

2 of 2

noun

ˈādz 

: 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

called also acquired immune deficiency syndrome

Examples of aids in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Yet the specter of AIDS hangs over him like the Sword of Damocles. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026

The pallid grayness of Mike Eley’s cinematography is probably supposed to mimic the finality of HIV/AIDS taking hold, but there’s no passion aesthetically to counterbalance what becomes absolute misery onscreen to watch. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026

Director Simon Stone and Beresford have crafted an immensely inspirational and winning film quite unlike most other movies set around the AIDS crisis that took so many young lives. — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2026

And these conversations were very interesting because some of the people who experienced the ’90s lost friends to AIDS or had someone in their family. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

First Known Use

Noun

1982, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing aids

• AIDS-related complex
• AIDS virus
• anti-AIDS

Rhymes for aids

• aides
• blades
• braids
• cades
• fades
• glades
• grades
• jades
• maids
• nsaids
• plaids
• raids

Kids Definition

AIDS

noun

ˈādz 

: 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

ˈādz 

: 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