pneumonic

adjective

pneu·​mon·​ic nu̇-ˈmä-nik How to pronounce pneumonic (audio)
nyu̇-
1
: of, relating to, or affecting the lungs
pneumonic plague
: pulmonic, pulmonary
2
: of, relating to, or affected with pneumonia

Examples of pneumonic 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.
In 2003, the city of Chicago participated in TOPOFF 2, a national terrorism response exercise simulating a radiological attack in Seattle and the release of pneumonic plague in Chicago. Lauren Buitta, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025 This 1978 electron microscope image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows Legionella pneumophila bacteria which are responsible for causing the pneumonic disease Legionnaires' disease. Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025 Symptoms of plague and how to protect yourself The three different types of plague — bubonic, septicemic and pneumonic — have some differing symptoms, though many of the fundamental signs are the same. Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2025 For example, a health care worker in close contact with someone with pneumonic plague could inhale infectious particles from the patient; those particles could then travel directly to their lungs and result in pneumonic plague. Alice Park, Time, 21 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pneumonic

Word History

Etymology

New Latin pneumonicus, from Greek pneumonikos, from pneumōn

First Known Use

1668, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pneumonic was in 1668

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pneumonic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pneumonic. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

Medical Definition

pneumonic

adjective
pneu·​mon·​ic n(y)u̇-ˈmän-ik How to pronounce pneumonic (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or affecting the lungs : pulmonary
2
: of, relating to, or affected with pneumonia
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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