variants:
or superspreading
Definition of super-spreading
: the transmission of a communicable disease to an unusually large number of uninfected individuals by a relatively small number of highly contagious individuals : the spread of disease by super-spreaders
The SARS coronavirus moved mainly via super-spreading and the epidemic died out. Whether that is likely to happen this time should become apparent soon.— Debora MacKenzie The authors analyse data from eight human infections … to show that superspreading occurs across the board, although to a greater or lesser extent depending on the disease.— Alison P. Galvani and Robert M. May
— often used before another noun super-spreading events
Keep scrolling for more
Test Your Vocabulary
The Exceptions Quiz III
-
- Which of these words does not mean "nonsense"?

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Anagram puzzles meet word search.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
Share super-spreading
Time Traveler for super-spreading
The first known use of super-spreading was in 2003
See more words from the same year