What does "outbreak" mean?

1. (disease or illness) the sudden start of a disease in a particular place. 2. (violence or war) the sudden start of fighting, war, or social trouble.

How do you use "outbreak"?

Often followed by the preposition 'of' and the name of the illness. Frequently used with 'of' followed by a noun like 'violence', 'war', or 'hostilities'.

outbreak

US //ˈaʊtˌbɹeɪk// UK //ˈaʊtbɹeɪk// out·break

1 disease or illness (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Medicine

the sudden start of a disease in a particular place.

the sudden occurrence of a disease or medical condition within a specific population or geographic area.

Example

The school closed for a week due to an outbreak of the flu.

Example

Health officials worked tirelessly to contain the cholera outbreak before it could spread to the neighbouring provinces.

Usage

Often followed by the preposition 'of' and the name of the illness.
- epidemic
- eruption
2 violence or war (n.)
C1 Advanced Formal

the sudden start of fighting, war, or social trouble.

the sudden commencement of conflict, violence, or civil unrest.

Example

The outbreak of war in the region forced many families to leave their homes.

Example

Diplomats struggled to maintain peace, but the sudden outbreak of hostilities at the border made further negotiations impossible.

Usage

Frequently used with 'of' followed by a noun like 'violence', 'war', or 'hostilities'.

Teacher's tip

While 'start' is common for general events, 'outbreak' is reserved for negative or destructive events.
- peace
- conclusion

Origin

From Middle English outbreken, oute-breken, from Old English ūtābrecan (“to break out”), equivalent to out- + break. Cognate with Saterland Frisian uutbreeke (“to break out, burst out”), West Frisian útbrekke (“to break out”), Dutch uitbreken (“to break out, burst out”), German ausbrechen (“to break out, erupt”). The noun is cognate with Saterland Frisian Uutbreek (“outbreak”), West Frisian útbrek (“outbreak”), Dutch uitbraak (“outbreak”), and German Ausbruch (“outbreak”), and is comparable to Danish udbrud (“outbreak”), Faroese and Icelandic útbrot (“rash”), Norwegian utbrudd (“outbreak”), and Swedish utbrott (“outbreak”).