contagion

noun

con·​ta·​gion kən-ˈtā-jən 

1

a

: a contagious disease

b

: the transmission of a disease by direct or indirect contact

c

: a disease-producing agent (such as a virus)

2

a

: poison

b

: contagious influence, quality, or nature

c

: corrupting influence or contact

3

a

: rapid communication of an influence (such as a doctrine or emotional state)

b

: an influence that spreads rapidly

Examples of contagion in a Sentence

a disease that spreads by contagion

People have been warned to keep out of the area to avoid contagion.

Recent Examples on the Web

This closeness exponentially increases the potential for cat-to-human and eventually human-to-human contagion, and scientists say that testing capabilities and mRNA human vaccine research are not prepared for this. —Jia H. Jung, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2025

And as if penalizing city drivers wasn’t enough, the city’s obsession with traffic cameras is becoming a contagion that’s infecting surrounding suburbs. —The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 3 Mar. 2025

Market turbulence and contagion is a key risk if underlying inflation remains stubborn — a crucial risk to low-income countries that are already under stress from high sovereign debt and currency market volatility. —Hakyung Kim, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2024

To determine if the synced urination was due to external factors - like water consumption and being outside - or social contagion, the researchers placed the chimps in groups of four at varying distances from each other. —Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English contagioun, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French contagiun, borrowed from Latin contāgiōn, contāgiō "contact, contact resulting in disease, infection, pollution," from contag-, variant stem of contingere "to be in contact with, arrive at, affect, fall to one's lot" + -iōn-, -iō, suffix of action nouns formed from compound verbs — more at contingent entry 1

Note: The vowel length in contāgiō is unexpected and difficult to explain; a similarly lengthened vowel is found in other deverbal derivatives with -ag- as a second member (compāgēs "bond, joint," from pangere, ambāgēs "circuitous path," from agere; see agent, pact).

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for contagion

• cajun

Kids Definition

contagion

noun

con·​ta·​gion kən-ˈtā-jən 

1

: the passing of a disease from one individual to another by direct or indirect contact

2

: a contagious disease or something (as a virus) that causes a contagious disease

Medical Definition

contagion

noun

con·​ta·​gion kən-ˈtā-jən 

1

: the transmission of a disease by direct or indirect contact

2

: contagious disease

3

: a disease-producing agent (as a virus)