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
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Samples are being analyzed by the infectious diseases department of the Bordeaux teaching hospital, the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Bordeaux, to identify the pathogen, assess transmission risks and determine further measures.
—
ABC News, 13 May 2026
And even though the breakthrough mRNA platform that gave us the COVID-19 vaccines can be quickly adapted to new pathogens, people are skeptical about taking them.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 13 May 2026
Still, if hantavirus can spread through the air, that’s important for containing the pathogen as the ship’s passengers return to their respective countries and quarantine.
—Tanya Lewis, Scientific American, 13 May 2026
Then one of them sent him a link to a news story about an outbreak of a hantavirus, a potentially deadly pathogen traditionally carried by rodents, which had been reported on a cruise ship.
—Akash Kapur, New Yorker, 12 May 2026
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ABC News, 13 May 2026
And even though the breakthrough mRNA platform that gave us the COVID-19 vaccines can be quickly adapted to new pathogens, people are skeptical about taking them.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 13 May 2026
Still, if hantavirus can spread through the air, that’s important for containing the pathogen as the ship’s passengers return to their respective countries and quarantine.
—Tanya Lewis, Scientific American, 13 May 2026
Then one of them sent him a link to a news story about an outbreak of a hantavirus, a potentially deadly pathogen traditionally carried by rodents, which had been reported on a cruise ship.
—Akash Kapur, New Yorker, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for pathogen
Cite this Entry
“Pathogen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pathogen. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
pathogen
noun
patho·gen
ˈpath-ə-jən
: a specific causative agent (as a bacterium or virus) of disease
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