infection meaning

infection means 'a disease caused by germs entering the body'.

infection :

disease, illness

noun

▪ He caught an infection from the cut.

▪ He got a disease from the cut.

▪ The infection spread quickly.

▪ The disease spread quickly.

paraphrasing

▪ disease – infection

▪ illness – sickness

▪ contagion – disease

▪ virus – germ disease

infection

Pronunciation

infection [ɪnˈfek.ʃən]

The stress is on 'feck' and it sounds like 'in-FEK-shun'.

Common phrases and grammar about infection

infection - Common meaning

noun
disease, illness

Part of Speech Changes for "infection"

▪ infect (verb) – to cause an infection

▪ infectious (adjective) – able to spread

▪ infection control (noun) – measures to prevent infection

▪ infectiousness (noun) – ability to spread disease


Common Expressions with "infection"

▪ bacterial infection – disease caused by bacteria

▪ viral infection – disease caused by viruses

▪ prevent infection – stop getting sick

▪ infection rate – number of infections


Important examples of infection in TOEIC

Vocabulary examples from the TOEIC test

In TOEIC word questions, infection refers to diseases caused by microorganisms.

▪The patient was treated for a severe infection.
▪The patient was treated for a severe disease caused by germs.

Example of a confusing word: inflammation (a condition of swelling and redness)

▪The patient was treated for a severe inflammation.
▪The patient was treated for severe swelling and redness.
"Infection" is a noun that describes a condition where harmful microorganisms, like bacteria or viruses, invade the body, leading to illness. In the sentence "The patient was treated for a severe infection," it correctly indicates treatment for a disease caused by germs. "Inflammation," however, refers to the body's response to injury or infection, characterized by redness, swelling, and pain. While inflammation can result from an infection, they are not synonymous. Using "inflammation" in place of "infection" changes the meaning and does not fit the context of treating a disease caused by germs. Therefore, "infection" is the correct choice.

Grammar examples from the TOEIC test

In TOEIC grammar questions, infection is used as a noun, often as the subject or object in a sentence.

▪The infection spread to other parts of her body.
▪The disease spread to other parts of her body.

infection

Idioms and fixed expressions in TOEIC

bacterial infection

'disease caused by bacteria', used in medical contexts.

▪He was diagnosed with a bacterial infection.
▪He was diagnosed with a disease caused by bacteria.

There are no common idiomatic expressions with 'infection' in TOEIC Part 7 passages.

▪
▪


Differences between similar words and infection

infection

,

disease

differences

infection refers specifically to diseases caused by microorganisms, while disease is a broader term for any illness.

infection
▪She has an infection in her leg.
▪She has a disease in her leg.
disease
▪He was diagnosed with the disease.
▪He was diagnosed with the infection.

infection

,

illness

differences

Infection refers to diseases caused by germs, while illness can refer to any sickness, not necessarily caused by germs.

infection
▪The infection was treated with antibiotics.
▪She is suffering from an illness.
illness
▪She is suffering from a bacterial infection.
▪She is suffering from an illness.

Words with the same origin as infection

The origin of infection

infection comes from the Latin 'infectio', meaning 'a poison put into'.

Word structure

The word is composed of the prefix 'in' (in), root 'fect' (make), and suffix 'ion' (noun), so infection means 'the act of making in'.

Words with the same origin

The root of infection is 'fect' (make). Words with the same root include 'infect', 'affect', 'effect', 'defect'.

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