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

“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

Head lice used to be listed as a communicable disease, and had to report it to the Health Department, King added.

From Salon

Contra Costa Health’s communicable disease program is investigating the case and has not determined where the person became infected, according to a news release.

From Los Angeles Times

From there, he later studied HIV/AIDS before moving into a role as the department’s chief of communicable disease epidemiology and immunization, where he stayed for 17 years.

From Seattle Times

Non communicable diseases, also known as chronic diseases, are not passed from person to person and deaths attributed to these diseases are increasing in most countries.

From Science Daily