pneumonia

noun

pneu·mo·nia | \ nu̇-ˈmō-nyə,

nyu̇-\

Definition of pneumonia

: an acute disease that is marked by inflammation of lung tissue accompanied by infiltration of alveoli and often bronchioles with white blood cells (such as neutrophils) and fibrinous exudate, is characterized by fever, chills, cough, difficulty in breathing, fatigue, chest pain, and reduced lung expansion, and is typically caused by an infectious agent (such as a bacterium, virus, or fungus) — see bronchopneumonia, pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, primary atypical pneumonia — compare pneumonitis

Examples of pneumonia in a Sentence

He caught pneumonia over the winter.

Recent Examples on the Web

Legendary Hollywood screenwriter William Goldman has died at the age of 87 from colon cancer and pneumonia, The New York Times reports. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "RIP William Goldman, creator of beloved film, The Princess Bride," 16 Nov. 2018 Ecker’s father, at 89, requires full-time oxygen for emphysema and had contracted pneumonia. — Lauran Neergaard, The Seattle Times, "AP-NORC Poll: Many caregivers neglecting their own health," 15 Oct. 2018 People who become infected with the disease have pneumonia-like symptoms, including fever, chills, headache, fatigue and confusion. — Melanie Grayce West, WSJ, "Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreak Kills One and Sickens 15 in Northern Manhattan," 11 Oct. 2018 Higher levels of exposure can cause chest pain, more severe breathing difficulties, vomiting, pneumonia, and fluid in the lungs. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "U.S. Soldier Found Guilty of Building, Exploding Poison Gas Bomb," 26 Sep. 2018 Doctors were conducting a battery of tests on the boys, and X-rays showed that two might have pneumonia. — New York Times, "Freed From Thai Cave, Boys May Still Face Health Problems," 10 July 2018 Paul suffered several fractured ribs and subsequently contracted pneumonia, according to the release. — Holly V. Hays, Indianapolis Star, "Neighbor who attacked Sen. Rand Paul is sentenced to 30 days," 15 June 2018 Some questioned whether Amelia had two ear infections, and others thought the baby had pneumonia. — Char Adams, PEOPLE.com, "Calif. Mom Opens Up After Learning Infant's Ear Infection Was Deadly Cancer: 'We Were Scared'," 7 May 2018 His two-year-old son has pneumonia, and is being treated inside. — The Economist, "Unwanted everywhereEven for Rohingya refugees who move on from Bangladesh, life is grim," 25 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pneumonia.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about pneumonia

Dictionary Entries near pneumonia

Statistics for pneumonia

Last Updated

11 Jan 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for pneumonia

The first known use of pneumonia was in 1603

See more words from the same year

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for pneumonia

pneumonia

noun

English Language Learners Definition of pneumonia

medical : a serious disease that affects the lungs and makes it difficult to breathe

See the full definition for pneumonia in the English Language Learners Dictionary

pneumonia

noun

pneu·mo·nia | \ nu̇-ˈmō-nyə,

nyu̇-ˈmō-\

Kids Definition of pneumonia

: a serious illness affecting the lungs that is marked especially by fever, cough, and difficulty in breathing

pneumonia

noun

pneu·mo·nia | \ n(y)u̇-ˈmō-nyə

Medical Definition of pneumonia

: an acute disease that is marked by inflammation of lung tissue accompanied by infiltration of alveoli and often bronchioles with white blood cells (as neutrophils) and fibrinous exudate, is characterized by fever, chills, cough, difficulty in breathing, fatigue, chest pain, and reduced lung expansion, and is typically caused by an infectious agent (as a bacterium, virus, or fungus) — see bronchopneumonia, lobar pneumonia, pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, primary atypical pneumonia