community-acquired

adjective

variants or less commonly community-associated
of an infection
: acquired or arising in the general population : not acquired or arising in a hospital
community-acquired pneumonia

Word History

First Known Use

1969, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of community-acquired was in 1969

Dictionary Entries Near community-acquired

Cite this Entry

“Community-acquired.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/community-acquired. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

community-acquired

adjective
of an infection
: acquired or arising in the general population : not acquired or arising in a hospital
Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common cause of community-acquired pneumonia and the second most common cause of bacterial meningitis in the United States.Jay C. Butler et al., The Journal of the American Medical Association
While the CDC estimated that the majority of such infections occur in healthcare settings, nearly 14% were so-called community-acquired, meaning that they struck otherwise healthy people who weren't in a hospital.Laura Landro, The Wall Street Journal
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