communicable

[ kuh-myoo-ni-kuh-buhl ]

adjective

1. capable of being easily communicated or transmitted:

   communicable information; a communicable disease.

2. talkative; communicative.

communicable

/ kəˈmjuːnɪkəbəl /

adjective

1. capable of being communicated
2. (of a disease or its causative agent) capable of being passed on readily

communicable

/ kə-myo̅o̅′nĭ-kə-bəl /

1. Capable of being transmitted from a person or animal to another person or animal, either through direct or indirect transmission, including insect or other vectors. Chickenpox is a communicable disease.

Derived Forms

• comˌmunicaˈbility, noun
• comˈmunicably, adverb

Other Words From

• com·muni·ca·bili·ty com·muni·ca·ble·ness noun
• com·muni·ca·bly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of communicable¹

1350–1400; Middle English < Late Latin commūnicābilis, equivalent to commūnicā ( re ) ( communicate ) + -bilis -ble

Example Sentences

In May 1983, Dr Spence Galbraith, the director of the UK's Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre, wrote to Dr Ian Field, the senior principal medical officer at the Department of Health, urging that all US blood products should be withdrawn from use until the risk of Aids was "clarified".

From BBC

“We have had multiple dairies refuse a site visit,” wrote the communicable disease program manager in Weld, Colorado, in a July 2 email.

From Salon

The inquiry was shown a letter written in May 1983 by Dr Spence Galbraith,, external then director of the UK's Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre, to the Department of Health.

From BBC

That communicable diseases—like TB and HIV—have been on the rise.

From Slate

In May 1983, Dr Spence Galbraith, the director of the UK's Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre, wrote to Dr Ian Field, the senior principal medical officer at the Department of Health, urging that all US blood products should be withdrawn from use until the risk of Aids was "clarified".

From BBC