pathogen
noun
path·o·gen
ˈpa-thə-jən 
: a specific causative agent (such as a bacterium or virus) of disease
Examples of pathogen in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The country endured a major respiratory disease outbreak in 2023 after pulling itself out of the Covid mire in late 2022, well after other nations had thrown open their borders and allowed pathogens to resume their traditional circulation patterns.
—
Bloomberg News, TIME, 11 Apr. 2024
Serology measures antibodies formed against a specific pathogen. IgM antibodies indicate a new infection whereas IgG antibodies usually show that you have been infected in the past.
—Tanya Feke, Verywell Health, 4 Apr. 2024
According to a 2022 New York City Department of Health and Human Services report, Strep zoo, is a rare pathogen in dogs and is usually limited to shelter settings.
—The Arizona Republic, 26 Mar. 2024
As the pandemic has made apparent, our world is connected via pathogens: Large outbreaks in other countries, where vaccination coverage may be low, have a tendency to seed tiny outbreaks in the U.S., where coverage has been pretty high, but narrow and persistent cracks in our defenses still remain.
—Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2024
The pathogen that came to bear his and Dr. Barr’s names — Epstein-Barr virus — belongs to the herpes family and is one of the most ubiquitous on the planet.
—Delthia Ricks, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024
In the 1910s, epidemiologist Joseph Goldberger was determined to prove that pellagra, a disease now known to be caused by severe vitamin B deficiency, was not caused by infectious pathogens.
—Rachel Lance, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Apr. 2024
And necropsy data taken from dead fish samples so far has not turned up any communicable pathogens and the fish were negative for bacterial infections, according to the FWC.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2024
Tomato, pepper, eggplant and tomatillo are all susceptible to the same suite of soil pathogens.
—Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Apr. 2024
Bloomberg News, TIME, 11 Apr. 2024
Serology measures antibodies formed against a specific pathogen. IgM antibodies indicate a new infection whereas IgG antibodies usually show that you have been infected in the past.
—Tanya Feke, Verywell Health, 4 Apr. 2024
According to a 2022 New York City Department of Health and Human Services report, Strep zoo, is a rare pathogen in dogs and is usually limited to shelter settings.
—The Arizona Republic, 26 Mar. 2024
As the pandemic has made apparent, our world is connected via pathogens: Large outbreaks in other countries, where vaccination coverage may be low, have a tendency to seed tiny outbreaks in the U.S., where coverage has been pretty high, but narrow and persistent cracks in our defenses still remain.
—Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2024
The pathogen that came to bear his and Dr. Barr’s names — Epstein-Barr virus — belongs to the herpes family and is one of the most ubiquitous on the planet.
—Delthia Ricks, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024
In the 1910s, epidemiologist Joseph Goldberger was determined to prove that pellagra, a disease now known to be caused by severe vitamin B deficiency, was not caused by infectious pathogens.
—Rachel Lance, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Apr. 2024
And necropsy data taken from dead fish samples so far has not turned up any communicable pathogens and the fish were negative for bacterial infections, according to the FWC.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2024
Tomato, pepper, eggplant and tomatillo are all susceptible to the same suite of soil pathogens.
—Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pathogen.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near pathogen
Cite this Entry
“Pathogen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pathogen. Accessed 2 May. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
pathogen
noun
patho·gen
ˈpath-ə-jən
: a specific causative agent (as a bacterium or virus) of disease
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