malaria

noun

ma·​lar·​ia mə-ˈler-ē-ə 

1

a

: a human disease that is caused by sporozoan parasites (genus Plasmodium) in the red blood cells, is transmitted by the bite of anopheline mosquitoes, and is characterized by periodic attacks of chills and fever

b

: any of various diseases of birds and mammals caused by blood protozoans

2

archaic : air infected with a noxious substance capable of causing disease

especially : miasma

malarial

mə-ˈler-ē-əl 

adjective

malarious

mə-ˈler-ē-əs 

adjective

Examples of malaria in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state health departments launched emergency operations, deployed mosquito-control teams and alerted clinicians to test for malaria in patients with unexplained fevers. —Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025

Babies may soon join soldiers in the fight to ward off malaria. —Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 7 Oct. 2025

Last year saw the first rollout of malaria vaccines, given to millions of children across 23 African countries. —Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2025

The most likely cause of an increase in childhood deaths is malaria, which kills more than 400,000 children a year and can cause seizures. —Tom Frieden, Big Think, 30 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Italian, from mala aria bad air

First Known Use

1740, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing malaria

• anti-malaria
• falciparum malaria
• vivax malaria

Rhymes for malaria

• area
• ceria
• feria
• varia
• aquaria
• gregaria
• herbaria
• hysteria
• puparia
• rancheria
• araucaria
• arenaria

Kids Definition

malaria

noun

ma·​lar·​ia mə-ˈler-ē-ə 

: a disease caused by protozoan parasites in the red blood cells, passed from one individual to another by the bite of mosquitoes, and marked by periodic attacks of chills and fever

malarial

-ē-əl 

adjective

Medical Definition

malaria

noun

ma·​lar·​ia mə-ˈler-ē-ə 

1

: an acute or chronic disease caused by the presence of sporozoan parasites of the genus Plasmodium in the red blood cells, transmitted from an infected to an uninfected individual by the bite of anopheline mosquitoes, and characterized by periodic attacks of chills and fever that coincide with mass destruction of blood cells and the release of toxic substances by the parasite at the end of each reproductive cycle

malaria remains the greatest single cause of debilitation and death throughout the world

—The Journal of the American Medical Association

see falciparum malaria, vivax malaria

2

: any of various diseases of birds and mammals that are more or less similar to malaria of human beings and are caused by blood protozoans