Infectious
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /ɪnˈfɛk.ʃəs/ · Part of speech adjective
Quick meaning: Infectious is an adjective meaning (pathology, typically of a person) Able to infect others; capable of transmitting pathogens.
Meaning
(pathology, typically of a person) Able to infect others; capable of transmitting pathogens.
More Meanings
- (of feelings and behaviour) Spreading quickly from one person to another.
- (informal) Memorable and invoking excitement or interest.
- (pathology, of an illness) Caused by an agent that enters the host's body (such as a bacterium, virus, parasite, or prion); often, also, transmitted among hosts via any of various routes (for example, contact, droplet-borne, airborne, waterborne, foodborne, fomite-borne, or bloodborne).
Example Sentences
infectious smile
Cancer is usually not infectious.
Her enthusiasm for work can be really infectious.
Pop music is more infectious than elevator music.
Synonyms for infectious
Depending on context, synonyms include corrupting, transmissible, contagious, catching, contractable, communicable.
Antonyms for infectious
Common opposites include non-infectious, noninfectious.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include infective, contagious, catching, communicable, septic, transmissible.
Related Dictionary Tools
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.