virulence

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noun vir·u·lence \ ˈvir-ə-lən(t)s , ˈvir-yə- \

Definition of virulence

:the quality or state of being virulent: such as

a :extreme bitterness or malignity of temper :rancor

b :malignancy, venomousness

the virulence of a disease

c :the relative capacity of a pathogen to overcome body defenses

See virulence defined for kids

Examples of virulence in a Sentence

I was surprised by the virulence of the criticism.

Recent Examples of virulence from the Web

Such presidential grace can be crucial in ameliorating moments of virulence and violence.

— jon meacham, Time, "American Hate, a History," 17 Aug. 2017
But the real target and virulence of their bill is the set of financial measures aimed squarely at Russia.

— chicagotribune.com, "The war over who controls U.S. foreign policy has begun," 28 July 2017
Their survivability depends on several factors, including bacterial virulence.

— katy moeller, idahostatesman, "Dead bird carcasses are lining South Cole Road. Concerned drivers are asking why.," 25 July 2017
First, an agent must exceed a certain threshold of infectivity, a property called virulence.

— Scientific American, "Readers Respond to the April 2017 Issue," 24 July 2017
As quick-spreading as WCry was, its virulence was largely checked by a series of errors made by its developers.

— dan goodin, Ars Technica, "A new ransomware outbreak similar to WCry is shutting down computers worldwide," 27 June 2017
The attack almost seemed a natural, if sick, extension of the virulence that surrounds the country’s increasingly tribal politics.

— mark z. barabak, latimes.com, "Reaction to shooting at congressional baseball practice reveals a nation that doesn't just disagree. It hates," 15 June 2017
After a stormy campaign marked by scandal, virulence and terrorism, voters face a choice Sunday between centrist pro-European Union Macron and his far-right anti-euro rival, Marine Le Pen.

— mark deen, Bloomberg.com, "French Voters Prepare to Vote After Macron Reports Cyber Attack," 6 May 2017
South Korea is probably more susceptible to North Korea’s virulence than any other country.

— peter baker, New York Times, "Trump Responds to North Korean Missile Launch With Uncharacteristic Restraint," 12 Feb. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'virulence.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of virulence

1617

virulence Synonyms

Synonyms

acidity, acidness, acridity, acridness, asperity, bile, bitterness, cattiness, corrosiveness, mordancy, tartness, acrimony, virulency, vitriol

Near Antonyms

civility, cordiality, courtesy, diplomacy, geniality, graciousness, kindness, politeness, tactfulness; compassion, softness, sweetness, sympathy, tenderness, warmth; oiliness, smoothness, suaveness, suavity, unctuousness, urbanity

Medical Dictionary

virulence

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noun vir·u·lence \ ˈvir-(y)ə-lən(t)s \

medical Definition of virulence

:the quality or state of being virulent: as

a :relative severity and malignancy

ameliorate the virulence of a disease

b :the relative capacity of a pathogen to overcome body defenses — compare infectivity

Learn More about virulence

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for virulence Spanish Central: Translation of virulence Nglish: Translation of virulence for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of virulence for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about virulence

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virulence

Definition of virulence

Examples of virulence in a Sentence

Recent Examples of virulence from the Web

First Known Use of virulence

virulence Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Medical Dictionary

virulence

medical Definition of virulence

Learn More about virulence

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virulence

Definition of virulence

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Examples of virulence in a Sentence

Recent Examples of virulence from the Web

First Known Use of virulence

virulence Synonyms

Synonyms

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Medical Dictionary

virulence

medical Definition of virulence

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