Word
pestilence
Phoneticspesti·lence
US/ˈpɛstəɫəns/
UK/pˈɛstɪləns/
Uncountable noun
Definition
n. a very serious and deadly disease that spreads quickly through a large area. It is an old-fashioned word often used in stories or history books.
n. a highly infectious and deadly disease that spreads rapidly through a population. Often used in historical or literary contexts to describe epidemics like the plague.
Examples
“The village was saved from a terrible pestilence by the new medicine.”
“Historians often study how medieval societies reacted to the sudden arrival of a deadly pestilence that wiped out entire families.”
“The poet used the metaphor of pestilence to describe the rapid spread of misinformation across the internet, comparing digital viruses to the biological ones that once ravaged the countryside.”
Examples
simple
“The village was saved from a terrible pestilence by the new medicine.”
contextual
“Historians often study how medieval societies reacted to the sudden arrival of a deadly pestilence that wiped out entire families.”
complex
“The poet used the metaphor of pestilence to describe the rapid spread of misinformation across the internet, comparing digital viruses to the biological ones that once ravaged the countryside.”
Real-World Examples
“Works by theologian Isidore of Seville and the medieval scholar Bede informed William of Malmesbury's statement that comets presage pestilence or a change in royal power.” Etymology
From Middle English, from Old French, from Latin pestilentia (“plague”), from pestilens (“infected, unwholesome, noxious”); equivalent to pestilent + -ence.
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.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL 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: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
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