contagious disease
noun
plural contagious diseases
: an infectious disease (such as influenza, measles, or tuberculosis) that is transmitted by contact with an infected individual or infected bodily discharges or fluids (such as respiratory droplets), by contact with a contaminated surface or object, or by ingestion of contaminated food or water
Note: The terms contagious disease and communicable disease are often used interchangeably. However, communicable diseases such as malaria or schistosomiasis that are spread by contact with disease vectors (such as mosquitoes or ticks) are not typically considered to be "contagious" diseases since they cannot be spread from direct contact with another person.
Examples of contagious disease in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
As of this month, the highly contagious disease has infected nearly 175 million birds nationally, according to data from the Department of Agriculture.
—
Esther Sun, Mercury News, 10 July 2025
On Wednesday, state officials announced the first measles death in Texas' ongoing outbreak of the highly contagious disease.
—Nicole Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
That threshold stifles the risk of an outbreak of a highly contagious disease like measles because almost everyone has immunity.
—Jordan Smith, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
Miami has detected another case of measles, one of the most contagious diseases in the world, as the country nears record levels of infection.
—Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for contagious disease
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.
Esther Sun, Mercury News, 10 July 2025
On Wednesday, state officials announced the first measles death in Texas' ongoing outbreak of the highly contagious disease.
—Nicole Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
That threshold stifles the risk of an outbreak of a highly contagious disease like measles because almost everyone has immunity.
—Jordan Smith, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
Miami has detected another case of measles, one of the most contagious diseases in the world, as the country nears record levels of infection.
—Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for contagious disease
Cite this Entry
“Contagious disease.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contagious%20disease. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share