SARS-CoV-2
noun
: the coronavirus (Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 of the genus Betacoronavirus) that is the causative agent of COVID-19
Examples of SARS-CoV-2 in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The researchers conducted SARS-CoV-2 rapid antigen testing twice a week to diagnose infection.
—
Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2025
But this will be the first time since COVID vaccines were developed that many people in the U.S. will not have easy access to immunization against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease, which has contributed to the deaths of more than 1.2 million Americans to date.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 27 Aug. 2025
This formulation blocked the replication of both influenza and SARS-CoV-2, while significantly reducing disease severity.
—Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 27 Aug. 2025
File photo of an employee of the Bavarian Red Cross (BRK) preparing the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine against the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 for vaccination in a vaccination center, taken in Bavaria, Germany, in January 2021.
—Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Aug. 2025
The mRNA vaccine platform was famously deployed during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, allowing for the creation, testing and regulatory approval of vaccines within 11 months of the sharing of the genetic sequence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19.
—Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2025
None of these three characteristics have to date been seen with SARS-CoV-2 virus.
—Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 2 Aug. 2025
The idea SARS-CoV-2 might have originated in a laboratory is not, in itself, a conspiracy theory.
—CNN Money, 31 July 2025
Neely Lab is interested in applying the technology to gene editing, having previously used CRISPR to understand the mechanisms behind how venoms cause cell death and pain, and how proteins bind to cells, including the crucial spike protein in SARS-CoV-2.
—IEEE Spectrum, 27 July 2025
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Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2025
But this will be the first time since COVID vaccines were developed that many people in the U.S. will not have easy access to immunization against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease, which has contributed to the deaths of more than 1.2 million Americans to date.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 27 Aug. 2025
This formulation blocked the replication of both influenza and SARS-CoV-2, while significantly reducing disease severity.
—Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 27 Aug. 2025
File photo of an employee of the Bavarian Red Cross (BRK) preparing the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine against the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 for vaccination in a vaccination center, taken in Bavaria, Germany, in January 2021.
—Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Aug. 2025
The mRNA vaccine platform was famously deployed during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, allowing for the creation, testing and regulatory approval of vaccines within 11 months of the sharing of the genetic sequence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19.
—Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2025
None of these three characteristics have to date been seen with SARS-CoV-2 virus.
—Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 2 Aug. 2025
The idea SARS-CoV-2 might have originated in a laboratory is not, in itself, a conspiracy theory.
—CNN Money, 31 July 2025
Neely Lab is interested in applying the technology to gene editing, having previously used CRISPR to understand the mechanisms behind how venoms cause cell death and pain, and how proteins bind to cells, including the crucial spike protein in SARS-CoV-2.
—IEEE Spectrum, 27 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“SARS-CoV-2.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/SARS-CoV-2. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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SARS-CoV-2
noun
: the coronavirus (Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 of the genus Betacoronavirus) that is the causative agent of COVID-19 see delta variant, omicron variant
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