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 Staph bacteria are a common cause of pneumonia, surgical wound and bloodstream infections. — Cnn Editorial Research, CNN, 8 June 2021 McKayla Skinner, an Olympic alternate in 2016 and three-time world championship team member, came off the beam but drilled two vaults in her first meet since a number of health issues, including battles with COVID-19 and pneumonia. — Will Graves, chicagotribune.com, 23 May 2021 Montes died a week later in a Green Bay hospital of acute respiratory failure with hypoxemia due to COVID-19 pneumonia, according to his death certificate. — Maria Perez, jsonline.com, 20 May 2021 Luna develops pneumonia, and her body starts to decline. — Lincee Ray, EW.com, 28 May 2021 Antibiotics would take much of the terror out of diseases such as scarlet fever and pneumonia. — Perri Klass, Harper's Magazine, 25 May 2021 The cause of death was listed as respiratory-pneumonia on the California racing board’s website . . . — BostonGlobe.com, 24 May 2021 The posts warned of a mysterious pneumonia in Wuhan, a city of 11 million in central China. — Dan Xin Huang, The New Republic, 24 May 2021 Bill died due to complications from congestive heart failure and pneumonia a few days before Thanksgiving. — Anne Marshall-chalmers, USA TODAY, 22 May 2021

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.

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Last Updated

12 Jun 2021

Cite this Entry

“Pneumonia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pneumonia. Accessed 18 Jun. 2021.

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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