infectious mononucleosis

noun

: an acute infectious disease associated with Epstein-Barr virus that is characterized especially by fever, sore throat, swelling of lymph nodes, fatigue, and lymphocytosis and occurs primarily in adolescents and young adults

—abbreviation IM

called also kissing disease, mono

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Some viruses, including Epstein-Barr, the virus that causes infectious mononucleosis, have been linked to MS. —

CBS News, 19 Oct. 2022 Earlier experimental Epstein-Barr vaccines targeting one viral protein lowered the rate of infectious mononucleosis but failed to prevent viral infection. —

Liz Szabo, CNN, 18 Oct. 2022 There are other viral illnesses that produce a post-viral fatigue syndrome, such as infectious mononucleosis, often referred to as mono, which is more commonly caused by the Epstein-Barr virus. —

Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2022 At least one out of four teenagers and young adults who get infected with EBV will develop infectious mononucleosis, according to the CDC. —

Robyn Merrett, PEOPLE.com, 27 Oct. 2021 Some scientists, like immunologist Dr. Nancy Klimas, wonder if long COVID is caused by old viruses that stay in the body but are typically held in check, like infectious mononucleosis. —

Dr. Maia Ou, ABC News, 13 Mar. 2021 Usually benign, the virus can be associated with serious diseases like infectious mononucleosis, Hodgkin’s lymphoma and multiple sclerosis. —

Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian, 17 Dec. 2019 The final, official diagnosis was the Epstein-Barr virus, also known as infectious mononucleosis. —

Théoden Janes, charlotteobserver, 11 Mar. 2018 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'infectious mononucleosis.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1915, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of infectious mononucleosis was in 1915

See more words from the same year

Dictionary Entries Near infectious mononucleosis

infectious mastitis

infectious mononucleosis

infectious necrotic hepatitis

See More Nearby Entries

Cite this Entry

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“Infectious mononucleosis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infectious%20mononucleosis. Accessed 31 Mar. 2023.

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Medical Definition

infectious mononucleosis

noun

: an acute infectious disease associated with Epstein-Barr virus that is characterized especially by fever, sore throat, swollen lymph nodes, fatigue, and lymphocytosis and occurs primarily in adolescents and young adults

—abbreviation IM

called also glandular fever, kissing disease, mono