PATHOGENIC Synonyms: 48 Similar and Opposite Words

pathogenic

adjective

Definition of pathogenic

as in infective

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of pathogenic The composition of the gut microbiota can be altered by a variety of factors, most notably the use of antibiotics, which may eliminate beneficial as well as pathogenic bacteria. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Aug. 2026 That means investing in pan-filovirus diagnostics capable of detecting every pathogenic Ebola virus species. — Krutika Kuppalli, STAT, 10 Aug. 2026 These large studies have also shown that the symptoms caused by pathogenic mutations are commonly milder than doctors had believed. — Roxanne Khamsi, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026 Though family members were not encouraged to pursue genetic testing at the time, advances in research later revealed that her sister carried a pathogenic BRCA1 gene variant, prompting Evert to get tested herself. — Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 27 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for pathogenic

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pathogenic

Adjective

Sepsis can lead to a number of different complications, and Woodhouse developed infective endocarditis — an infection of the inner lining of the heart chambers and valves.

— Adam England, PEOPLE, 14 Sep. 2026
The team confirmed that those eggs developed into infective third-stage larvae.

— Jay Kakade August 05, Refractor, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of infective

Adjective

Epidemiologists consider that eight-day window the infectious period.

— Rachel Carlson, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026
The findings serve as a reminder that infectious agents cause cancer, says Anna Giuliano, founding director of the Center for Immunization and Infection Research in Cancer at the Moffitt Cancer Center.

— Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of infectious

Adjective

As many have observed, and Republicans are somewhat ineffectually seeking to highlight, the post-Barack Obama Democratic Party has come to consist of little more than a toxic mixture of socialism, antisemitism and wokeness.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026
Several years later, DeLay was the force driving Clinton’s impeachment and was simply too toxic to seek the speaker’s chair.

— Michael Tarm, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of toxic

Adjective

Some doctors employed wildly improbable cures when treating these pestilential tumors.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 May 2026
Here a book worth considering is ‘From third world to first’ - Lee Kwan Yew's first person story of transforming Singapore from a pestilential swamp into a metropolis.

— Mike O'Sullivan, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024

Definition of pestilential

Adjective

While the baits are not harmful to pets, eating several may cause mild stomach upset.

— Dan Raby, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026
The film primarily follows Frances Haugen (Mikey Madison), a Facebook employee in the company’s civic integrity team, the group tasked with making sure Facebook acts responsibly and avoids the harmful impacts of its product.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of harmful

Adjective

With this potential even more poisonous investments in the bloated and indebted Paramount behemoth, there’s even more reason to reject it.

— Abigail Disney, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026
This can come with high levels of metals such as nickel and vanadium, which can damage engines, and sulfur, which can be poisonous to people.

— Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of poisonous

Adjective

The virus is spread through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes and breathes and can remain virulent for up to two hours.

— Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register, 24 Aug. 2026
The isotopes that make up radiopharmaceuticals are just as virulent as the beam radiation patients have begrudgingly tolerated for decades.

— Allison DeAngelis, STAT, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of virulent

Adjective

An analysis of 1,000 tissue samples representing 11 major organs in just over 400 male donors has now delivered a clear map and expression profile of missing Y chromosomes in typical, pre-cancerous, and malignant tumors.

— Mike McRae September 20, New Atlas, 21 Sep. 2026
According to the National Cancer Institute, esophageal cancer is a disease in which malignant cancer cells form in the tissues of the esophagus.

— Angeline Jane Bernabe, ABC News, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of malignant

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pathogenetic

pathogenic

pathographies

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“Pathogenic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pathogenic. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of pathogenic

adjective

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