coronavirus

noun

co·​ro·​na·​vi·​rus kə-ˈrō-nə-ˌvī-rəs How to pronounce coronavirus (audio)
plural coronaviruses
1
: any of a family (Coronaviridae) of large single-stranded RNA viruses that have a lipid envelope studded with club-shaped spike proteins, infect birds and many mammals including humans, and include the causative agents of MERS, SARS, and COVID-19
Coronaviruses can cause a variety of illnesses in animals, but in people coronaviruses cause one-third of common colds and sometimes respiratory infections in premature infants.—Rob Stein
… in 2003 a previously unknown coronavirus caused an outbreak of SARS in humans.—Ali Moh Zaki et al.
—abbreviation CoV, CV
2
: an illness caused by a coronavirus
especially : covid-19
Italy has seen the most coronavirus cases in Europe, with more than 2,000 people ill and 76 deaths associated with COVID-19. —Dayton (Ohio) Daily News
—abbreviation CV

Examples of coronavirus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
As with fighting the coronavirus pandemic and the climate crisis, the urgency of the problem will likely only sink in when the need arises. — Govert Schilling, Scientific American, 27 June 2026 North American metros have since the coronavirus pandemic seen a mass exodus of businesses, shoppers and workers as services moved online and never returned. — Katharina Buchholz, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026 In 2020 Wimbledon was canceled for the first time since World War II amid the coronavirus pandemic. — Jennifer Hassan, USA Today, 2 July 2026 Egypt’s tourism has started to recover after years of years of political turmoil and violence following the 2011 uprising, as well as the coronavirus pandemic. — ABC News, 4 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for coronavirus

Word History

Etymology

corona + virus, later taken as New Latin

Note: The word was introduced by a group of virologists as a short article "Coronaviruses" in the "News and Views" section of Nature (vol. 220, no. 5168, November 16, 1968, p. 650): "… avian infectious bronchitis virus has a characteristic electron microscopic appearance resembling, but distinct from, that of myxoviruses. Particles are more or less rounded in profile … there is also a characteristic 'fringe' of projections 200 Å long, which are rounded or petal shaped, rather than sharp or pointed, as in the myxoviruses. This appearance, recalling the solar corona, is shared by mouse hepatitis virus … . In the opinion of the eight virologists these viruses are members of a previously unrecognized group which they suggest should be called the coronaviruses, to recall the characteristic appearance by which these viruses are identified in the electron microscope."

First Known Use

1968, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of coronavirus was in 1968

Phrases Containing coronavirus

Rhymes for coronavirus

See All Rhymes for coronavirus

Browse Nearby Words

coronation oath
coronavirus
coronavirus disease 2019
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Coronavirus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coronavirus. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

coronavirus

noun
co·​ro·​na·​vi·​rus kə-ˈrō-nə-ˌvī-rəs How to pronounce coronavirus (audio)
1
: a virus that infects birds and many mammals including humans
2
: an illness caused by a coronavirus
especially : covid-19

Medical Definition

coronavirus

noun
co·​ro·​na·​vi·​rus kə-ˈrō-nə-ˌvī-rəs How to pronounce coronavirus (audio)
1
: any of a family (Coronaviridae) of large, single-stranded, RNA viruses that have a lipid envelope studded with club-shaped spike proteins , infect birds and many mammals including humans, and include the causative agents of feline infectious peritonitis, COVID-19, MERS, and SARS
Coronaviruses are a large, diverse group of viruses that affect many animal species. A few of these viruses cause a wide range of respiratory illness in humans, typically with "common cold" symptoms.—The Journal of the American Medical Association
—abbreviation CoV, CV
2
: an illness caused by a coronavirus
especially : covid-19
—abbreviation CV

More from Merriam-Webster on coronavirus

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about coronavirus

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All