pathogen
noun
path·o·gen
ˈpa-thə-jən 
: a specific causative agent (such as a bacterium or virus) of disease
Examples of pathogen in a Sentence
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In May 2024, Modu helped launch Borno’s first immunization campaign to vaccinate adolescent girls against human papillomavirus (HPV), the pathogen that causes nearly all cervical cancers.
—
Adiel Kaplan, CNN Money, 17 Nov. 2025
One of the main changes is a loss of the innate immune system's naive T cells, the first line of defense against pathogens, and an increase in the adaptive immune system's memory T cells.
—New Atlas, 16 Nov. 2025
These two pathogens had not been identified previously among Napoleon's soldiers, though historians have documented the harsh conditions of their deaths for over two centuries.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 15 Nov. 2025
While bird flu has only wiped out 1 percent of the country’s annual turkey harvest in the past few months, people may worry about how the pathogen could affect Thanksgiving plans and prices.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 13 Nov. 2025
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Adiel Kaplan, CNN Money, 17 Nov. 2025
One of the main changes is a loss of the innate immune system's naive T cells, the first line of defense against pathogens, and an increase in the adaptive immune system's memory T cells.
—New Atlas, 16 Nov. 2025
These two pathogens had not been identified previously among Napoleon's soldiers, though historians have documented the harsh conditions of their deaths for over two centuries.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 15 Nov. 2025
While bird flu has only wiped out 1 percent of the country’s annual turkey harvest in the past few months, people may worry about how the pathogen could affect Thanksgiving plans and prices.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 13 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pathogen
Cite this Entry
“Pathogen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pathogen. Accessed 22 Nov. 2025.
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pathogen
noun
patho·gen
ˈpath-ə-jən
: a specific causative agent (as a bacterium or virus) of disease
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