pneumonia

noun

pneu·mo·nia nu̇-ˈmō-nyə

nyu̇-

: an acute disease that is marked by inflammation of lung tissue accompanied by infiltration of alveoli and often bronchioles with white blood cells (such as neutrophils) and fibrinous exudate, is characterized by fever, chills, cough, difficulty in breathing, fatigue, chest pain, and reduced lung expansion, and is typically caused by an infectious agent (such as a bacterium, virus, or fungus) see bronchopneumonia, pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, primary atypical pneumonia compare pneumonitis

Examples of pneumonia in a Sentence

He caught pneumonia over the winter.

Recent Examples on the Web Sum 41 singer Deryck Whibley is happy to be home and resting after being hospitalized last week for pneumonia. —

Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 20 Sep. 2023 Ariana previously revealed that the rock band frontman was hospitalized for pneumonia in an Instagram post on Friday. —

Alexis Jones, Peoplemag, 18 Sep. 2023 Sum 41 frontman Deryck Whibley is recovering at home following a health scare that left him hospitalized with pneumonia and potential heart failure over the weekend. —

Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2023 Deryck Whibley, the frontman for Canadian pop-punk band Sum 41, has been hospitalized for pneumonia. —

Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2023 His death, in a hospital, was confirmed by a close friend, Mauricio Vallejo, a co-owner of an art gallery in Houston, who said the cause was complications of pneumonia. —

Stephen Kinzer, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Sep. 2023 Infants and older adults are more likely to develop severe RSV infections, including bronchiolitis and pneumonia and need hospitalization. —

Cheryl V. Jackson, The Indianapolis Star, 7 Sep. 2023 Legionnaires’ disease is a serious type of pneumonia, or lung infection caused by bacteria, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. —

Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 23 Aug. 2023 His death, in a hospital, was caused by complications of pneumonia and hip replacement surgery, said his daughter, the novelist and memoirist Adrienne Brodeur. —

Richard Sandomir, New York Times, 17 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pneumonia.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Greek, from pneumōn lung, alteration of pleumōn — more at pulmonary

First Known Use

1603, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of pneumonia was in 1603

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Pneumonia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pneumonia. Accessed 25 Sep. 2023.

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Kids Definition

pneumonia

noun

pneu·mo·nia n(y)u̇-ˈmō-nyə

: a disease of the lungs marked by inflammation, congestion, fever, cough, and difficulty in breathing and caused especially by infection

Medical Definition

pneumonia

noun

pneu·mo·nia n(y)u̇-ˈmō-nyə

: an acute disease that is marked by inflammation of lung tissue accompanied by infiltration of alveoli and often bronchioles with white blood cells (as neutrophils) and fibrinous exudate, is characterized by fever, chills, cough, difficulty in breathing, fatigue, chest pain, and reduced lung expansion, and is typically caused by an infectious agent (as a bacterium, virus, or fungus) see bronchopneumonia, lobar pneumonia, pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, primary atypical pneumonia