reinfect: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Low (Technical/Medical Context)Formal, Technical, Medical
Quick answer
What does “reinfect” mean?
To cause a new infection in an organism or system that had previously been infected.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To cause a new infection in an organism or system that had previously been infected.
To become infected again after having recovered; to introduce a pathogen or malicious element back into a host or system that had been cleared.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. Spelling and grammar rules apply equally.
Connotations
Neutral, clinical. Associated primarily with medicine, virology, and computer security.
Frequency
Equally low in both varieties, used predominantly in specialised contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “reinfect” in a Sentence
[Subject] reinfects [Object][Object] is/get reinfected (by [Subject])Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “reinfect” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- Patients who recover without immunity can easily reinfect others.
- The doctor warned that not completing the treatment could allow the bacteria to reinfect the wound.
American English
- The virus mutated just enough to potentially reinfect vaccinated individuals.
- If you don't disinfect the surface thoroughly, it will reinfect the next batch.
adverb
British English
- [No direct adverb form. Use phrases like 'became infected again'].
American English
- [No direct adverb form. Use phrases like 'became infected again'].
adjective
British English
- [The related adjective is 'reinfected', as in 'a reinfected patient'].
- The reinfected tissue showed a more severe inflammatory response.
American English
- [The related adjective is 'reinfected', as in 'reinfected computers'].
- Authorities tracked the outbreak to a reinfected food handler.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. May be used metaphorically: 'The corrupted data could reinfect the entire network if not fully purged.'
Academic
Common in medical/biological papers: 'The study aimed to determine if convalescent plasma could prevent the virus from reinfecting cells.'
Everyday
Uncommon. Used when discussing recurring illnesses: 'Make sure you finish all the antibiotics, or you might get reinfected.'
Technical
Primary domain. Used in medicine, virology, immunology, and cybersecurity: 'The malware, once removed, can reinfect the system through a backdoor.'
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “reinfect”
- Using 'reinfect' when no prior infection occurred (just use 'infect').
- Misspelling as 're-infect' in formal writing (hyphen is often optional but less common).
- Confusing with 'relapse' (which is a worsening of an existing condition, not a new infection).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Reinfect' means to catch a new infection from an external source after having recovered. 'Relapse' means the return or worsening of symptoms from an existing infection that was never fully eliminated.
No. While most common for living organisms, it is also used for computers/networks (malware), environments, and even metaphorical systems.
The noun form is 'reinfection' (e.g., 'The risk of reinfection is low').
Yes, very commonly. For example: 'He was reinfected with a different strain of the virus.' or 'The database was reinfected by the same exploit.'
To cause a new infection in an organism or system that had previously been infected.
Reinfect is usually formal, technical, medical in register.
Reinfect: in British English it is pronounced /ˌriːɪnˈfekt/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌriɪnˈfɛkt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[None directly associated with 'reinfect']”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think RE- (again) + INFECT. Literally 'to infect again'.
Conceptual Metaphor
INFECTION IS AN INVADER (that can return).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the verb 'reinfect' LEAST likely to be used appropriately?