contagion

noun con·ta·gion \ kən-ˈtā-jən \

|Updated on: 14 Jul 2018

Examples: contagion in a Sentence

Definition of contagion

1 a : a contagious disease

b : the transmission of a disease by direct or indirect contact

c : a disease-producing agent (such as a virus)

2 a : poison

b : contagious influence, quality, or nature

c : corrupting influence or contact

3 a : rapid communication of an influence (such as a doctrine or emotional state)

b : an influence that spreads rapidly

See contagion defined for English-language learners

See contagion defined for kids

Examples of contagion in a Sentence

a disease that spreads by contagion
People have been warned to keep out of the area to avoid contagion.

Recent Examples of contagion from the Web

The costs of war, however, are not born solely by the countries in conflict, as there is potential for contagion of the conflict itself.

— håvard hegre, Washington Post, "U.N. peacekeeping really can be effective. Here’s how we tabulated this.," 28 June 2018
The hysteria set off the rest of the group, unleashing a contagion of crying that left the staff at a loss.

— author: maria sacchetti, kevin sieff, marc fisher, Anchorage Daily News, "Separated migrant children are all over the country," 25 June 2018
The hysteria set off the rest of the group, unleashing a contagion of crying that left the staff at a loss.

— maria sacchetti, chicagotribune.com, "'It really wears on the kids': Separated migrant children are all over the country," 24 June 2018
The reason speaking responsibly about suicide is so important is because of something called suicide contagion.

— mollykate cline, Teen Vogue, "How to Talk About Suicide Without Adding to Mental Health Stigma," 8 June 2018
During the previous crisis, a lot of eurozone countries looked alike, creating contagion.

— richard barley, WSJ, "A Eurozone Crisis Rerun? Watch Spain," 30 May 2018
Moreover, one shooter inspires the next, creating a contagion that’s hard to control.

— david french, National Review, "No, It’s Not Cowardly to Be Conservative on Gun Rights," 15 Feb. 2018
Clementine, whose code has been tweaked by Charlotte Hale to mirror Maeve’s ability to control other hosts, has spread a contagion of violence through all of them.

— refinery29.com, "Westworld Season 2 Finale Recap: A Whole Lotta Ben Barnes," 25 June 2018
In cases of self-harm and suicide, minimizing risk of contagion is key, according to suicide-prevention groups and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

— San Francisco Chronicle, "A Retreat’s Risky Lessons," 14 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'contagion.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of contagion

Middle English, from Latin contagion-, contagio, from contingere to have contact with, pollute — more at contingent

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

Other Medicine Terms

analgesia, angina, diabetes, hepatitis, homeopathy, logorrhea, palliate, pandemic

CONTAGION Defined for English Language Learners

contagion

noun

Definition of contagion for English Language Learners

: the process by which a disease is passed from one person or animal to another by touching
: a disease that can be passed from one person or animal to another by touching : a contagious disease