pathogenic

adjective

path·​o·​gen·​ic ˌpa-thə-ˈje-nik How to pronounce pathogenic (audio)
Synonyms of pathogenicnext
1
2
: causing or capable of causing disease
pathogenicity noun

Examples of pathogenic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
According to the agriculture department, testing has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza in wild birds, as well as within backyard flocks and commercial flocks statewide. Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 15 Feb. 2026 Though the threat of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), or bird flu, is still high, the egg industry now has an oversupply, and wholesale egg prices in early January were at record lows, an egg farmer and others in the industry told USA TODAY. Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026 According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one of the main drivers of elevated and unpredictable egg prices has been the ongoing outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza. Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 20 Jan. 2026 Simply labeling a variant as ‘pathogenic’ or ‘benign’ might miss the bigger story because those supposedly harmful changes can sometimes be offset by a second mutation. William A. Haseltine, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pathogenic

Word History

Etymology

patho- + -genic, after French pathogénique, German pathogenisch

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pathogenic was in 1850

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pathogenic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pathogenic. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

pathogenic

adjective
patho·​gen·​ic
ˌpath-ə-ˈjen-ik
: causing or capable of causing disease

Medical Definition

pathogenic

adjective
patho·​gen·​ic -ˈjen-ik How to pronounce pathogenic (audio)
1
2
: causing or capable of causing disease
pathogenic microorganisms
pathogenically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on pathogenic

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