CONTAGIOUS DISEASES Synonyms: 56 Similar and Opposite Words

contagious diseases

noun

plural of contagious disease

as in infections

sickness that can be passed from one person, plant, or animal to another Parents are advised to vaccinate their children against contagious diseases.

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of contagious diseases Vaccinations are available for several highly contagious diseases that can spread rapidly from classroom to couch. — Hali Smith, Idaho Statesman, 28 Aug. 2026 For the most contagious diseases, even a small dip in vaccination can trigger population-wide problems. — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 24 Aug. 2026 That’s because measles, among the most contagious diseases in history, is almost always the first vaccine-preventable disease to strike when immunization rates fall. — Patricia Callahan, ProPublica, 18 Aug. 2026 Measles is one of the most contagious diseases known to medicine. — Devi Shastri, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2026 By this time, smallpox and other contagious diseases brought to the continent by the Europeans had begun to spread among the Aztecs, reducing their capital city’s population by 40 percent in 1520 alone. — Jordana Rosenfeld, Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 June 2026 Those threats include measles — one of the world’s most contagious diseases — as well as respiratory viruses such as Covid-19 and influenza. — Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 4 June 2026 Eighteen Americans possibly exposed to the virus are undergoing a six-week-long quarantine — much lengthier than the guidelines for most contagious diseases. — Ashley Abramson, Washington Post, 23 May 2026 Kindergartners in Florida are required to be immunized against certain contagious diseases, but there has been a trend toward more parents obtaining medical and religious exemptions for their children. — Cindy Krischer Goodman, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for contagious diseases

Noun

If the model works, Hund says Rare Ventures will expand to include more diseases and potentially fund more treatments.

— Brad Quick, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
This is far from the first time that Kennedy and his allies have attempted to downplay and spread misinformation about deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases.

— Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of diseases

Noun

The cocktail neutralized viruses representing both major Nipah strains as well as Hendra virus, demonstrating broad activity across multiple members of the henipavirus family.

— William A. Haseltine, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
There is no treatment for these viruses, and the plants should be removed and discarded to help prevent the spread of the virus.

— Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 17 June 2026

Definition of viruses

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contagious disease

contagious diseases

contagium

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“Contagious diseases.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contagious%20diseases. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of contagious diseases

noun

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