community-acquired
|com-mun-i-ty-ac-quired|
🇺🇸
/kəˌmjunəti əˈkwaɪərd/
🇬🇧
/kəˌmjuːnɪti əˈkwaɪəd/
acquired outside a hospital
Etymology
The term 'community-acquired' is formed from 'community' and the past participle 'acquired', indicating something obtained in the community (outside of a hospital).
The phrase emerged in medical English in the 20th century to distinguish infections contracted outside hospitals from those acquired within healthcare settings.
Initially, it simply described anything acquired in the community, but it became a technical term in medicine for infections not contracted in hospitals.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
(of a disease or infection) contracted outside of a hospital or healthcare setting, as opposed to being acquired in a hospital.
The patient was diagnosed with community-acquired pneumonia.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/04 16:47