contagion

noun

con·​ta·​gion kən-ˈtā-jən 

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

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 on the Web

Research shows that emotional contagion isn’t limited to face-to-face encounters. —Mark Travers, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025

His death fixation seems more of a motivation than does Angry Alan’s quasi logic, which grips him through his laptop—even though the director Sam Gold and the video designer Lucy Mackinnon underline these moments of contagion by flooding the stage with a projection of glitching red static. —Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 13 June 2025

That's a technical term in public health for contagions that have been well-controlled for 12 months or more. —Maria Godoy, NPR, 9 May 2025

Thursday's episode of the ABC first responder drama picked up in the middle of a contagion crisis. —Patrick Gomez, EW.com, 18 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English contagioun, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French contagiun, borrowed from Latin contāgiōn, contāgiō "contact, contact resulting in disease, infection, pollution," from contag-, variant stem of contingere "to be in contact with, arrive at, affect, fall to one's lot" + -iōn-, -iō, suffix of action nouns formed from compound verbs — more at contingent entry 1

Note: The vowel length in contāgiō is unexpected and difficult to explain; a similarly lengthened vowel is found in other deverbal derivatives with -ag- as a second member (compāgēs "bond, joint," from pangere, ambāgēs "circuitous path," from agere; see agent, pact).

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for contagion

• cajun

Kids Definition

contagion

noun

con·​ta·​gion kən-ˈtā-jən 

1

: the passing of a disease from one individual to another by direct or indirect contact

2

: a contagious disease or something (as a virus) that causes a contagious disease

Medical Definition

contagion

noun

con·​ta·​gion kən-ˈtā-jən 

1

: the transmission of a disease by direct or indirect contact

2

: contagious disease

3

: a disease-producing agent (as a virus)