: 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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Next, head south to Belmont Harbor and recently installed AIDS Garden Chicago, where a Keith Haring sculpture, Self-Portrait, memorializes those who have died from HIV.
—
Midwest Living, 12 June 2026
Recall those hundred or so volunteers who put their own bodies on the line to advance the possibility—absolutely not the certainty—of eliminating a brutal scourge, HIV/AIDS.
—Literary Hub, 11 June 2026
Flossie Wong-Staal (1946 - 2020) • China 🇨🇳 Wong-Staal was the first scientist to clone the virus that causes AIDS, a crucial step towards effective treatments against the disease.
—Alex Knapp, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
As a social worker assisting survivors of domestic violence and patients facing HIV and AIDS diagnoses, Renee Duxler saw first-hand how people’s lives can be shaped for better or worse by policy decisions and budget allocations.
—Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 10 June 2026
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Midwest Living, 12 June 2026
Recall those hundred or so volunteers who put their own bodies on the line to advance the possibility—absolutely not the certainty—of eliminating a brutal scourge, HIV/AIDS.
—Literary Hub, 11 June 2026
Flossie Wong-Staal (1946 - 2020) • China 🇨🇳 Wong-Staal was the first scientist to clone the virus that causes AIDS, a crucial step towards effective treatments against the disease.
—Alex Knapp, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
As a social worker assisting survivors of domestic violence and patients facing HIV and AIDS diagnoses, Renee Duxler saw first-hand how people’s lives can be shaped for better or worse by policy decisions and budget allocations.
—Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for AIDS
Cite this Entry
“AIDS.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/AIDS. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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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Merriam-Webster unabridged
