ENGLISH
REFERENCE

STD

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate std Archaic Humorous

n. Stands for sexually transmitted disease. An infection that people get by having sex with someone who already has it.

n. Abbreviation for sexually transmitted disease. An infection or disease passed from one person to another through sexual contact. Often used interchangeably with STI (sexually transmitted infection) in modern medical contexts.


SIMPLE

You should get tested for an STD if you have a new partner.

CONTEXTUAL

Health clinics provide free screenings and advice on how to prevent the spread of an STD.

COMPLEX

Public health initiatives focus on reducing the stigma surrounding an STD to encourage more people to seek early diagnosis and treatment.

Synonyms
Usage

Typically used with the indefinite article 'an' because the first letter is pronounced as a vowel ('ess').

Pitfall

a STDan STDUse 'an' before acronyms that begin with a vowel sound, such as 'S' (ess).

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