meningitis
noun
men·in·gi·tis
ˌme-nən-ˈjī-təs 
plural meningitides
ˌme-nən-ˈji-tə-ˌdēz
: inflammation of the meninges and especially of the pia mater and arachnoid
specifically
: a disease marked by inflammation of the meninges that is either a relatively mild illness caused by a virus (such as various Coxsackieviruses) or a more severe usually life-threatening illness caused by a bacterium (especially the meningococcus, Neisseria meningitides, or the serotype designated B of Haemophilus influenzae)
Note: Meningitis is often marked by fever, headache, vomiting, malaise, and stiff neck, and if left untreated in bacterial forms, may progress to confusion, stupor, convulsions, coma, and death.
Examples of meningitis in a Sentence
She was diagnosed with spinal meningitis.
Recent Examples on the Web
The duo, currently featured in a non-traditional marketing pitch from pharma giant GSK, have reunited to make consumers more aware of meningitis risks for teens and young adults.
—
Brian Steinberg, Variety, 18 May 2026
Similarly, a parent’s directive that doctors withhold antibiotics from a child who arrived at the ER with a rapidly lethal infection like bacterial meningitis would be rightly unheeded.
—Adam W. Gaffney, STAT, 18 May 2026
Ebola is tricky to clinically diagnose because symptoms at early stage of the disease are similar to other infectious diseases such as malaria, typhoid fever, shigellosis, meningitis and other viral haemorrhagic fevers.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 18 May 2026
Complications of the virus can include inflammation of the brain, or encephalitis; inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord, or meningitis; and inflammation of the brain and its surrounding membrane, Johns Hopkins Medicine said.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for meningitis
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Brian Steinberg, Variety, 18 May 2026
Similarly, a parent’s directive that doctors withhold antibiotics from a child who arrived at the ER with a rapidly lethal infection like bacterial meningitis would be rightly unheeded.
—Adam W. Gaffney, STAT, 18 May 2026
Ebola is tricky to clinically diagnose because symptoms at early stage of the disease are similar to other infectious diseases such as malaria, typhoid fever, shigellosis, meningitis and other viral haemorrhagic fevers.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 18 May 2026
Complications of the virus can include inflammation of the brain, or encephalitis; inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord, or meningitis; and inflammation of the brain and its surrounding membrane, Johns Hopkins Medicine said.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for meningitis
Cite this Entry
“Meningitis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meningitis. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
meningitis
noun
men·in·gi·tis
ˌmen-ən-ˈjīt-əs
: a disease in which a membrane of the brain or spinal cord becomes inflamed
Medical Definition
meningitis
noun
men·in·gi·tis
ˌmen-ən-ˈjīt-əs
plural meningitides
-ˈjit-ə-ˌdēz
: inflammation of the meninges and especially of the pia mater and the arachnoid
specifically
: a disease marked by inflammation of the meninges that is either a relatively mild illness caused by a virus (such as various Coxsackieviruses) or a more severe usually life-threatening illness caused by a bacterium (especially the meningococcus, Neisseria meningitidis, or the serotype designated B of Haemophilus influenzae)
Note: Meningitis is often marked by fever, headache, vomiting, malaise, and stiff neck, and if left untreated in bacterial forms, may progress to confusion, stupor, convulsions, coma, and death.
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