contagiousness
|con-ta-gious-ness|
/kənˈteɪdʒəsnəs/
ability to spread by contact
Etymology
'contagiousness' originates from English, formed by the adjective 'contagious' plus the suffix '-ness' to form a noun. 'Contagious' itself comes from Latin via Old French, ultimately from Latin 'contagiosus', where the root 'contag-' relates to 'touch' or 'contact'.
'contagious' developed from Latin 'contagiosus' (from 'contagium', meaning 'a touching, contact, contagion') into Old French forms (e.g. 'contagieux') and then into Middle English as 'contagious'; the modern English noun 'contagiousness' was later formed by adding the productive noun suffix '-ness'.
Initially related to physical 'touch' or contact and the spread of disease ('that which touches or spreads by contact'), it evolved to mean more broadly 'capable of being transmitted' both in literal medical contexts and in figurative contexts (e.g. moods or behaviors that spread).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the quality or state of being contagious; the capacity of a disease or pathogen to be transmitted from one individual to another.
Public health officials measured the contagiousness of the new virus to determine quarantine guidelines.
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Noun 2
the tendency of something non-pathological (such as laughter, enthusiasm, or a mood) to spread rapidly from person to person.
The contagiousness of her laughter lightened the whole room.
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Last updated: 2025/10/23 00:22