hepatitis C

noun

: an acute or chronic hepatitis that is caused by a flavivirus (species Hepatitis C virus of the genus Hepacivirus), is often asymptomatic in its early stages but may be marked by fatigue, fever, nausea, loss of appetite, abdominal tenderness, and muscle and joint pain, and is usually transmitted by infected blood (such as by injection of an illicit drug, blood transfusion, or exposure to blood or blood products)

Note: The acute or short-term stage of hepatitis C typically progresses to a long-term or chronic infection which often leads to liver damage, liver failure, or liver cancer.

Examples of hepatitis C in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Using samples from the laboratory's collection of nearly 1 million frozen specimens, scientists helped make the initial discovery of the hepatitis C virus in the 1980s. —Chiara Eisner, NPR, 16 Apr. 2025

Egypt recently eradicated hepatitis C in under a year by combining bold public health strategies with cutting-edge medicine. —William A. Haseltine, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025

Context: Needle exchange programs provide clean syringes for people using drugs and dispose of used ones, steps that can reduce the spread of diseases like hepatitis C and HIV. —Esteban L. Hernandez, Axios, 14 Jan. 2025

In 2016, the W.H.O. set an ambitious mission of globally eliminating hepatitis B, along with hepatitis C, by 2030. —Ingfei Chen, The New Yorker, 18 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1978, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for hepatitis C

• actuary
• antiquary
• bolsheviki
• calliope
• chelicerae
• covenantee
• cruciferae
• diastole
• distributee
• hyperbole
• interviewee
• origami

Medical Definition

hepatitis C

noun

-ˈsē 

: an acute or chronic hepatitis that is caused by a flavivirus (species Hepatitis C virus of the genus Hepacivirus), is often asymptomatic in its early stages but may be marked by fatigue, fever, nausea, loss of appetite, abdominal tenderness, and muscle and joint pain, and is usually transmitted by infected blood (as by injection of an illicit drug, blood transfusion, or exposure to blood or blood products)

Note: The acute or short-term stage of hepatitis C typically progresses to a long-term or chronic infection which often leads to liver damage, liver failure, or liver cancer.