: a disease of the human immune system that is characterized cytologically especially by reduction in the numbers of CD4-bearing helper T cells to 20 percent or less of normal thereby rendering the subject highly vulnerable to life-threatening conditions (such as Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia) and to some (such as Kaposi's sarcoma) that become life-threatening and that is caused by infection with HIV commonly transmitted in infected blood especially during illicit intravenous drug use and in bodily secretions (such as semen) during sexual intercourse
Examples of AIDS in a Sentence
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Haynes came up in the 1980s, closely aligned with activist and gay-rights movements that arose in response to the Reagan government and its inaction on the AIDS crisis.
—
Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Feb. 2025
Another is the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, supported by USAID, which has been a game-changer in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
—A.j. Russo, Baltimore Sun, 17 Feb. 2025
Related article Trump administration cuts US efforts to support democracy at home and abroad
The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a George W. Bush-era program that has enjoyed bipartisan support, was among those hit by US President Donald Trump’s actions.
—Hira Humayun, CNN, 16 Feb. 2025
The other projects include the 30-foot-tall Pride flag, an AIDS memorial that opened recently on Olive Street, a gay cultural district included in a new blueprint for the area, and the naming of a street after gay rights leader Harvey Milk.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Feb. 2025
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Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Feb. 2025
Another is the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, supported by USAID, which has been a game-changer in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
—A.j. Russo, Baltimore Sun, 17 Feb. 2025
Related article Trump administration cuts US efforts to support democracy at home and abroad
The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a George W. Bush-era program that has enjoyed bipartisan support, was among those hit by US President Donald Trump’s actions.
—Hira Humayun, CNN, 16 Feb. 2025
The other projects include the 30-foot-tall Pride flag, an AIDS memorial that opened recently on Olive Street, a gay cultural district included in a new blueprint for the area, and the naming of a street after gay rights leader Harvey Milk.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for AIDS
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Cite this Entry
“AIDS.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/AIDS. Accessed 25 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
AIDS
noun
: a serious disease of the human immune system marked by destruction of a large proportion of the helper T cells in the body due to infection by the HIV virus commonly transmitted especially in blood and semen
Medical Definition
AIDS
noun
: a disease of the human immune system that is characterized cytologically especially by a reduction in the numbers of CD4-bearing helper T cells to 20 percent or less of normal thereby rendering the subject highly vulnerable to life-threatening conditions (as Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia) and to some that become life threatening (as Kaposi's sarcoma) and that is caused by infection with HIV commonly transmitted in infected blood especially during illicit intravenous drug use and in bodily secretions (as semen) during sexual intercourse
called also acquired immune deficiency syndrome, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
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