pneumonia

noun pneu·mo·nia \ nu̇-ˈmō-nyə , nyu̇- \

Updated on: 17 May 2018

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

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See pneumonia defined for kids

Examples of pneumonia in a Sentence

He caught pneumonia over the winter.

Recent Examples of pneumonia from the Web

Crocker died of pneumonia at the age of 78 in her apartment at the Hotel Savoy Plaza in New York City in 1941.

— kate siber, Outside Online, "The Bohemian Heiress Who Shattered 19th-Century Taboos," 24 Apr. 2018
Last year, he was placed in intensive care after suffering from a bout of pneumonia.

— dan frosch, WSJ, "George H.W. Bush Hospitalized for Blood Infection," 23 Apr. 2018
Austin died in late 1836 at the age of 43 from pneumonia complications in what is now present-day West Columbia.

— craig hlavaty, Houston Chronicle, "One of the most rare early maps of Texas debuts at Texas A&M," 19 Apr. 2018
Lynda Cruz died of pneumonia on Nov. 1, leaving Nikolas and his brother, Zachary, without parents — their father died in 2004.

— rafael olmeda, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Hero student Anthony Borges files first lawsuit in Parkland school shooting," 17 Apr. 2018
The dog, named Boppy, died from aspiration pneumonia caused by inhaling vomit, according to a statement from the Quest on Tuesday.

— tegan hanlon, Anchorage Daily News, "Banned from Yukon Quest over dog care concerns, Hugh Neff says he is being unfairly targeted," 27 Apr. 2018
Ralph Margolis died at home under hospice care on Nov. 1 from complications of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and pneumonia.

— john wilkens, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Melba and Ralph Margolis, civil-rights activists whose daughter was plaintiff in major San Diego schools desegregation case," 26 Apr. 2018
According to Grace’s Facebook post and subsequent media interviews, Elianna was officially diagnosed with aspirational pneumonia secondary to pool water ingestion.

— amanda macmillan, Health.com, "What Is Dry Drowning? A Mother Shares Her Scary Experience on Facebook After 4-Year-Old Nearly Dies," 24 Apr. 2018
According to the Center for Disease Control & Prevention, sepsis happens after a pre-existing infection such as pneumonia or urinary tract infection worsens and spreads into the bloodstream, which quickly circulates the bacteria throughout the body.

— daniela sternitzky-di napoli, Houston Chronicle, "Things you should know about George H.W. Bush's infection, aka sepsis," 24 Apr. 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.

Origin and Etymology of pneumonia

New Latin, from Greek, from pneumōn lung, alteration of pleumōn — more at pulmonary

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1603

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

Other Medicine Terms

analgesia, angina, diabetes, hepatitis, homeopathy, logorrhea, palliate, pandemic

PNEUMONIA Defined for English Language Learners

pneumonia

noun

Definition of pneumonia for English Language Learners

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

PNEUMONIA Defined for Kids

pneumonia

noun pneu·mo·nia \ nu̇-ˈmō-nyə , nyu̇-ˈmō- \

Definition of pneumonia for Students

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

Medical Dictionary

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