pathogen

noun

path·​o·​gen ˈpa-thə-jən How to pronounce pathogen (audio)
: a specific causative agent (such as a bacterium or virus) of disease

Examples of pathogen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The achievement kicked off an age of discovery in genetics, with researchers racing to decode the genomes of other pathogens—and eventually animals. Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 30 Apr. 2026 Venter worked with Nobel laureate Hamilton Smith to sequence the bacterium Haemophilus influenzae, which resulted in a new vaccine for ear infections and is helping scientists understand how pathogens evolve. Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026 Just as evolutionary biologists can reconstruct the branching history of a species from its genome, Astromech's engine is intended to explore potential future scenarios for pathogen or tumor evolution under therapeutic pressure. Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026 Fungicides, for instance, are used to suppress disease-causing pathogens like blights and leaf spots, but might also impact beneficial microbes that live in flowers. Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 28 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pathogen

Word History

Etymology

patho- + -gen, after pathogenic, pathogenesis

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pathogen was in 1880

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pathogen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pathogen. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

pathogen

noun
patho·​gen
ˈpath-ə-jən
: a germ (as a bacterium or virus) that causes disease

Medical Definition

pathogen

noun
patho·​gen ˈpath-ə-jən How to pronounce pathogen (audio)
: a specific causative agent (as a bacterium or virus) of disease

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