pathogen

noun

path·​o·​gen ˈpa-thə-jən 

: a specific causative agent (such as a bacterium or virus) of disease

Examples of pathogen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Packages from many Asian countries are a high risk for plant and animal pathogens, as well as for insects, said Mr. Ramirez, the agriculture section chief for the customs bureau in Los Angeles. —Adeel Hassan, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2025

Destroying infrastructure and consuming and contaminating food, these rodents are also vectors for pathogens and parasites, capable of spreading over 50 different infectious agents to humans. —Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 6 Feb. 2025

Perhaps the most unsettling feature of a less vaccinated future, though, is how unprepared the U.S. is to confront a resurgence of pathogens. —Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2025

Raw water carries the risk of serious gastrointestinal infection from a wide variety of pathogens. —Bill Sullivan, The Conversation, 27 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

patho- + -gen, after pathogenic, pathogenesis

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

pathogen

noun

patho·​gen

ˈpath-ə-jən

: a germ (as a bacterium or virus) that causes disease

Medical Definition

pathogen

noun

patho·​gen ˈpath-ə-jən 

: a specific causative agent (as a bacterium or virus) of disease