communicable
adjective
com·mu·ni·ca·ble
kə-ˈmyü-ni-kə-bəl 
1
: capable of being communicated : transmittable
communicable diseases
a communicable skin rash
see also communicable disease
2
: communicative
prove myself a gentleman, by being … virtuous and communicable—
Izaac Walton
Izaac WaltonExamples of communicable in a Sentence
communicable diseases that are usually transmitted sexually
Recent Examples on the Web
Measles outbreaks erupted in the U.S. this year because a highly communicable virus, sometimes circulating abroad, infected a rising population of unvaccinated Americans as well as some visitors from abroad who traveled in this country.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 13 Mar. 2025
This misconception tends to be due to the rise in influenza and other communicable respiratory infections in the colder months.
—Patty Weasler, Rn, Verywell Health, 9 Oct. 2024
Hanage foresees wastewater analysis being used to track other communicable viruses, like mpox.
—Chris Stokel-Walker, WIRED, 4 Oct. 2024
And necropsy data taken from dead fish samples so far have not turned up any communicable pathogens and the fish were negative for bacterial infections, according to the FWC.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 3 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for communicable
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Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 13 Mar. 2025
This misconception tends to be due to the rise in influenza and other communicable respiratory infections in the colder months.
—Patty Weasler, Rn, Verywell Health, 9 Oct. 2024
Hanage foresees wastewater analysis being used to track other communicable viruses, like mpox.
—Chris Stokel-Walker, WIRED, 4 Oct. 2024
And necropsy data taken from dead fish samples so far have not turned up any communicable pathogens and the fish were negative for bacterial infections, according to the FWC.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 3 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for communicable
Cite this Entry
“Communicable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/communicable. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
communicable
adjective
com·mu·ni·ca·ble
kə-ˈmyü-ni-kə-bəl
: capable of being transferred or carried from one person or thing to another
communicable diseases
Medical Definition
communicable
adjective
com·mu·ni·ca·ble
kə-ˈmyü-ni-kə-bəl
: capable of being transmitted from person to person, animal to animal, animal to human, or human to animal : transmissible
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