conjunctivitis: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Technical/Medical, but widely understood in everyday use.
Quick answer
What does “conjunctivitis” mean?
Inflammation of the thin, transparent membrane (conjunctiva) covering the white part of the eye and the inner surface of the eyelids.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Inflammation of the thin, transparent membrane (conjunctiva) covering the white part of the eye and the inner surface of the eyelids.
A common, often contagious eye condition causing redness, irritation, discharge, and a gritty sensation. May be allergic, viral, or bacterial in origin.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. "Pink eye" is the common lay term in both varieties.
Connotations
Neutral clinical term in both.
Frequency
Equally common in medical contexts; "pink eye" is more frequent in casual conversation in both regions.
Grammar
How to Use “conjunctivitis” in a Sentence
[Patient] has/developed/suffers from conjunctivitis.Conjunctivitis broke out/circulated/spread [among group].Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “conjunctivitis” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The child's eye began to conjunctivitise? (Not a standard verb; use 'become inflamed' or 'develop conjunctivitis')
American English
- The virus can conjunctivitise? (Not a standard verb; use 'cause conjunctivitis')
adverb
British English
- (Not standard)
American English
- (Not standard)
adjective
British English
- conjunctival (relating to the conjunctiva)
- conjunctivitically (extremely rare/not standard)
American English
- conjunctival (relating to the conjunctiva)
- conjunctivitis-related
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Possibly in workplace health notices: 'Employees with conjunctivitis should work from home.'
Academic
Common in medical, biological, and public health texts and research.
Everyday
Common when discussing personal/family health: 'My son has conjunctivitis, so he's off school.'
Technical
The standard term in medical diagnosis, ophthalmology, and pharmacology.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “conjunctivitis”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “conjunctivitis”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “conjunctivitis”
- Misspelling: 'conjuctivitis' (missing 'n'), 'conjunctivitous' (incorrect adjective form).
- Using as a countable noun (e.g., 'a conjunctivitis') is atypical; it's usually uncountable.
- Pronouncing the 'c' as /s/ instead of /k/.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, 'pink eye' is the common, non-medical term for conjunctivitis.
Treatment depends on the cause. Bacterial conjunctivitis may need antibiotic drops, viral conjunctivitis clears on its own, and allergic conjunctivitis is treated with antihistamines.
Viral and bacterial forms are highly contagious through direct or indirect contact with eye secretions. Allergic conjunctivitis is not contagious.
Yes, swimming pools can sometimes spread certain types of conjunctivitis (like adenoviral or chloramine-induced), so wearing goggles is advisable.
Inflammation of the thin, transparent membrane (conjunctiva) covering the white part of the eye and the inner surface of the eyelids.
Conjunctivitis is usually technical/medical, but widely understood in everyday use. in register.
Conjunctivitis: in British English it is pronounced /kənˌdʒʌŋk.tɪˈvaɪ.tɪs/, and in American English it is pronounced /kənˌdʒʌŋk.təˈvaɪ.t̬əs/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None directly. Figuratively, can be used to imply a distorted or inflamed view: 'He saw the proposal with a kind of political conjunctivitis.'”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: CONJUNCTiva + ITIS (inflammation). The CONJUNCTiva is the part that gets the ITIS (like in tonsill-ITIS or arthr-ITIS).
Conceptual Metaphor
INFLAMMATION IS FIRE / CONTAGION IS A INVADING FORCE (e.g., 'outbreak,' 'spreading,' 'highly contagious').
Practice
Quiz
What is the most common everyday synonym for 'conjunctivitis'?