hepatitis
noun
also hepatitises
ˌhe-pə-ˈtī-tə-səz
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The liver, the body's largest gland, performs many important tasks, but is also vulnerable to many illnesses. At least five types of hepatitis, labeled with the letters A–E, are caused by viruses. The most common are hepatitis A, acquired through contaminated food and water; hepatitis B, which usually travels via sexual activity or shared needles; and hepatitis C, generally passed through shared needles. Some other types, including alcoholic hepatitis (caused by drinking too much alcohol), aren't infectious. There are vaccines for types A and B, and drug treatments for A, B, and C, though the drugs aren't always effective.
Examples of hepatitis in a Sentence
Zach Dyer, NPR, 22 Dec. 2025
Take, for instance, the administration’s all-out assault on vaccines, which most recently, in early December, led the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to nix the decades-long recommendation to immunize all newborns against hepatitis B.
—Eli Cahan, Rolling Stone, 19 Dec. 2025
The test is sensitive and accurate enough to detect all six major hepatitis C genotypes and can be performed on both whole blood and plasma samples.
—Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 19 Dec. 2025
The new votes should not change the availability of hepatitis B vaccines, and insurers and officials have said that parents who want to get their children vaccinated against hepatitis B will still be able to do so at no cost.
—Katherine Dillinger, CNN Money, 17 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hepatitis
Cite this Entry
“Hepatitis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hepatitis. Accessed 25 Dec. 2025.
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hepatitis
noun
also hepatitises
Medical Definition
hepatitis
noun
also hepatitises
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