French Conversation · Level 99
60 words
French word
infectieux
Pronunciation
IPA/ɛ̃fɛksjø/
Meaning
- adjectivecontagious
Example
La rougeole est très infectieuse.
Measles is highly contagious.
More examples
Les vaccins protègent contre certaines maladies infectieuses.
Vaccines protect against certain infectious diseases.
Core concept
An infectious condition or agent spreading from one organism to another.
Common phrases
maladie infectieuse
infectious disease
agent infectieux
infectious agent
Similar words
contagieux: Able to spread from person to person through ordinary contact.
transmissible: Able to be transmitted from one host or source to another.
Definition in French
Qui se rapporte aux infections et décrit une capacité de propagation d'un agent infectieux entre organismes.
Word origin
The French adjective infectieux comes from Latin infectiosus, a form built on inficere, meaning "to infect," through learned medical vocabulary.
Usage tips
- Infectieux is common in medical terms such as agent infectieux, while contagieux is often more natural when ordinary speech focuses on person-to-person transmission.