Pestilence: meaning, definitions and examples

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pestilence

 

[ หˆpษ›s.tษช.lษ™ns ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

disease outbreak

Pestilence refers to a fatal epidemic disease, most commonly used to describe severe contagious diseases that have historically caused widespread mortality. It is often associated with plagues, such as the bubonic plague, which devastated populations in the past. The word embodies not only the physical affliction but also the social and psychological impacts it inflicts on societies. Pestilence has been a recurring theme in literature and history as a metaphor for both literal and figurative decay or corruption.

Synonyms

contagion, disease, epidemic, plague

Examples of usage

  • The town was struck by a terrible pestilence, leaving many dead.
  • Pestilence swept through Europe in the 14th century.
  • The story is set in a time of pestilence and despair.

Translations

Translations of the word "pestilence" in other languages:

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น pestilรชncia

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ เคฎเคนเคพเคฎเคพเคฐเฅ€

๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช Seuche

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ pestis

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ั‡ัƒะผะฐ

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฑ zaraza

๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต ็–ซ็—…

๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท peste

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ pestilencia

๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท veba

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท ์ „์—ผ๋ณ‘

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ุทุงุนูˆู†

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฟ mor

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฐ mor

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ ็˜Ÿ็–ซ

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฎ kuga

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ธ pest

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ฟ ะพะฑะฐ

๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ช แƒ”แƒžแƒ˜แƒ“แƒ”แƒ›แƒ˜แƒ

๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ฟ bulaq

๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฝ pestilencia

Etymology

The term 'pestilence' originates from the Latin word 'pestilentia', which means 'a plague,' derived from 'pestilentem,' meaning 'infectious' or 'plague.' The root of the term can be traced back to 'pestis,' signifying 'plague' or 'destruction.' It has been used in various historical texts to describe outbreaks of disease that led to significant mortality, including the Black Death in the 14th century, which caused the death of a large portion of Europe's population. Over time, the usage of the word expanded to include not only severe diseases but also a general sense of something harmful or destructive. In modern contexts, pestilence is often used metaphorically to describe issues or phenomena that might not involve physical diseases but have a similarly detrimental impact on society, such as moral corruption or societal decay.

Word Frequency Rank

With rank #16,274, this word belongs to specialized vocabulary. While not common in everyday speech, it enriches your ability to express complex ideas.