Word
outbreak
Phoneticsout·break, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈaʊtˌbɹeɪk/
UK/ˈaʊtbɹeɪk/
Definitions
01disease or illness
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Medicine
n. the sudden start of a disease in a particular place.
n. the sudden occurrence of a disease or medical condition within a specific population or geographic area.
日本語:発生※
“The school closed for a week due to an outbreak of the flu.”
“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.
02violence or war
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Formal
n. the sudden start of fighting, war, or social trouble.
n. the sudden commencement of conflict, violence, or civil unrest.
“The outbreak of war in the region forced many families to leave their homes.”
“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'.
Teaching tip
While 'start' is common for general events, 'outbreak' is reserved for negative or destructive events.
Antonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “outbreak” in context.
Verb
01. contain the outbreak
“Health officials worked tirelessly to contain the outbreak before it reached the neighboring cities.”
verb + noun
02. prevent the outbreak of war
“Diplomatic efforts were intensified to prevent the outbreak of war between the two nations.”
verb + noun + of + noun
03. trigger an outbreak
“Contaminated water supplies can easily trigger an outbreak of cholera in densely populated areas.”
verb + noun
Adjective
04. sudden outbreak
“The sudden outbreak of violence caught the local security forces completely by surprise.”
adj + noun
05. widespread outbreak
“The government issued a state of emergency following a widespread outbreak of the flu.”
adj + noun
Noun
06. outbreak occurred
“The initial outbreak occurred in a remote village before spreading to the capital.”
noun + verb
07. outbreak of hostilities
“The outbreak of hostilities led to a complete breakdown in international trade relations.”
noun + of + noun
Preposition
08. at the outbreak of
“He was living in London at the outbreak of the Second World War.”
prep + noun + prep
09. outbreak in the eastern
10. outbreak worsening
11. outbreak caused
12. outbreak remains
Real-World Examples
“DR Congo's Ebola outbreak has spread to a sixth province after a death was recorded in the previously unaffected Bas-Uele province.” “Last year's funding cuts to federal agencies that oversee foodborne illness outbreaks are being tested with the record cyclosporiasis outbreak in the U.S.” “The current outbreak has killed more than 2,100 people out of more than 4,500 cases, according to the latest government figures released on Tuesday.” Etymology
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”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/outbreak
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0