encephalitis

play

noun en·ceph·a·li·tis \in-ˌse-fə-ˈlī-təs\

Definition of encephalitis

plural

encephalitides

play \in-ˌse-fə-ˈli-tə-ˌdēz\

: inflammation of the brain that is caused especially by infection with a virus (such as herpes simplex or West Nile virus) or less commonly by bacterial or fungal infection or autoimmune reaction ◆Encephalitis may be asymptomatic or present with mild to severe symptoms (such as fever, headache, confusion, seizures, or loss of consciousness) sometimes progressing to coma or death.

encephalitic

play \in-ˌse-fə-ˈli-tik\ adjective

See encephalitis defined for kids

Recent Examples of encephalitis from the Web

Maybe that child won’t end up being injured with encephalitis as a result, the way my son did.

— amy wallace, WIRED, "Readers Respond to ‘An Epidemic of Fear,’ part 4", 30 Oct. 2009

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

First Known Use of encephalitis

1843

Medical Dictionary

encephalitis

play

noun en·ceph·a·li·tis \in-ˌsef-ə-ˈlīt-əs\

Medical Definition of encephalitis

plural

encephalitides

\-ˈlit-ə-ˌdēz\play

: inflammation of the brain that is caused especially by infection with a virus (such as herpes simplex, varicella zoster, or West Nile virus) or less commonly by bacterial or fungal infection or autoimmune reaction ◆Encephalitis may be asymptomatic or present with mild to severe symptoms (such as fever, headache, confusion, seizures, or loss of consciousness) sometimes progressing to coma or death.