variants:
or community transmission
Definition of community spread
: the spread of a contagious disease within a community
specifically
: the spread of a contagious disease to individuals in a particular geographic location who have no known contact with other infected individuals or who have not recently traveled to an area where the disease has any documented cases
Dr. [Anthony] Fauci, who is the top coronavirus expert in the country, said community spread made it almost impossible to predict how many cases there will be. — Megan Sheets and Emily Crane … a 50-year-old New Rochelle man became the first known person in New York to contract the virus through community spread. — Jon Campbell In areas where community transmission is high, schools may be closed and businesses may ask employees to work from home. — Melissa Healy
Keep scrolling for more
Test Your Vocabulary
Name that Thing: Flower Edition
-
- Name that flower

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Spell words. Make bears.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Share community spread
Time Traveler for community spread
The first known use of community spread was in 1903
See more words from the same year