Need another word for Infectious? Use these synonyms of Infectious from our thesaurus to say it differently.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Meaning of Infectious
The primary meaning of the word "Infectious" is related to the ability of a disease or a condition to be spread from one person to another, or to describe something that is catchy and spreads quickly, such as a laugh or an idea.
Definitions
- (Of a disease or condition) able to be spread from one person to another, either through direct contact or indirectly, for example through the air or through contaminated food or water
- (Of a feeling or attitude) able to be spread or communicated to others, often in a way that is unintended or uncontrollable
- (Of a disease-causing organism) able to cause infection in a person, animal, or plant
Etymology of Infectious
The word "Infectious" comes from the Latin "infectious", which is derived from "infectus", the past participle of "inficere", meaning "to taint or corrupt", and is related to "in" meaning "in" or "on" and "ficere" meaning "to do" or "to make"
Historically, the term "infectious" was first used in the 15th century to describe diseases that could be spread from one person to another, and has since been expanded to include other meanings, such as the ability of a feeling or attitude to be communicated to others
Example Uses
- The infectious laughter of the children was contagious and soon had everyone in the room smiling
- The doctor warned that the patient's disease was highly infectious and that visitors should take precautions to avoid catching it
- The infectious energy of the crowd was palpable, and soon the whole stadium was on its feet, cheering and chanting