infectious disease

noun

: a disease (such as influenza, malaria, meningitis, rabies, or tetanus) caused by the entrance into the body of pathogenic agents or microorganisms (such as bacteria, viruses, protozoans, or fungi) which grow and multiply there compare communicable disease, contagious disease

Examples of infectious disease in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Hantavirus is an infectious disease that's normally spread through contact with rodents such as deer mice, cotton rats, rice rats and the white-footed mouse. — Gina Kalsi, PEOPLE, 22 June 2026

Curbing an infectious disease abroad protects health at home, reducing the risk of cross-border transmission and lowering the chance of new, costlier public health threats. — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 22 June 2026

To estimate how many parasitoid wasp species in the Costa Rican national park have evaded detection, the researchers took cues from infectious disease tracking. — Elizabeth Anne Brown, Scientific American, 1 July 2026

For most of American history, military commanders took for granted that infectious disease could cost them a war, which is why vaccination was considered a matter of military readiness rather than personal choice. — Katrine L. Wallace, The Conversation, 24 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1600, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for infectious disease

• idiosyncrasies
• abcs
• absentees
• addressees
• adoptees
• allottees
• amputees
• antifreeze
• appellees
• appointees
• arrestees
• artistes

Kids Definition

infectious disease

noun

: a disease caused by the presence, growth, and increase in numbers of germs in the body

Medical Definition

infectious disease

noun

: a disease (as influenza, malaria, meningitis, rabies, or tetanus) caused by the entrance into the body of pathogenic agents or microorganisms (as bacteria, viruses, protozoans, or fungi) which grow and multiply there compare communicable disease, contagious disease