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
Borrowing an old bromide, when the stock market sneezes, California’s state government catches pneumonia.
—
George Skelton, The Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2024
The most common complication of an infection is pneumonia, which can be fatal.
—Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC News, 17 Apr. 2024
The official cause of death was pneumonia, with complications from anemia and intoxication from legal drugs.
—Danny Horn, EW.com, 12 Apr. 2024
About 1 in every 20 children with measles will develop pneumonia, and others may develop a dangerous swelling in the brain called encephalitis.
—Deidre McPhillips, CNN, 11 Apr. 2024
About 1 in 5 people who get the measles end up hospitalized, according to the CDC, and 1 in 20 kids with measles develops pneumonia.
—Kristen Jordan Shamus, Detroit Free Press, 10 Apr. 2024
Rebecca Jones, her domestic partner and sole survivor, said the cause was aspiration pneumonia.
—Clyde Haberman, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2024
Periodontitis is associated with a slew of systemic ills: heart attacks, strokes, heart failure, diabetes, endocarditis, chronic kidney disease, recurrent pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, gastritis, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer and cognitive impairment.
—Lola Butcher, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Mar. 2024
This type of pneumonia may result from bacterial, viral, or fungal infections.
—Korin Miller, Health, 14 Apr. 2024
George Skelton, The Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2024
The most common complication of an infection is pneumonia, which can be fatal.
—Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC News, 17 Apr. 2024
The official cause of death was pneumonia, with complications from anemia and intoxication from legal drugs.
—Danny Horn, EW.com, 12 Apr. 2024
About 1 in every 20 children with measles will develop pneumonia, and others may develop a dangerous swelling in the brain called encephalitis.
—Deidre McPhillips, CNN, 11 Apr. 2024
About 1 in 5 people who get the measles end up hospitalized, according to the CDC, and 1 in 20 kids with measles develops pneumonia.
—Kristen Jordan Shamus, Detroit Free Press, 10 Apr. 2024
Rebecca Jones, her domestic partner and sole survivor, said the cause was aspiration pneumonia.
—Clyde Haberman, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2024
Periodontitis is associated with a slew of systemic ills: heart attacks, strokes, heart failure, diabetes, endocarditis, chronic kidney disease, recurrent pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, gastritis, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer and cognitive impairment.
—Lola Butcher, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Mar. 2024
This type of pneumonia may result from bacterial, viral, or fungal infections.
—Korin Miller, Health, 14 Apr. 2024
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.
Dictionary Entries Near pneumonia
Cite this Entry
“Pneumonia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pneumonia. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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