noninfectious
noninfectious — adjective
- noninfectiouspositive
- more noninfectiouscomparative
- most noninfectioussuperlative
1. describes an illness that does not spread between living things, so staying clos
describes an illness that does not spread between living things, so staying close to someone or something that has it carries no risk of catching it.
Doctors told Antonia that her skin rash was noninfectious, so her children could still hug her.
describing an illness as safe to be near
Diabetes is a noninfectious disease, meaning Christopher cannot give it to the people he lives with.
noninfectious + disease as a fixed pairing
The vet confirmed the horse's leg swelling was noninfectious, so the other animals stayed in the same barn.
Most forms of cancer are noninfectious, so visitors do not need masks when they enter the ward.
Because the eye condition was noninfectious, Nila kept teaching her class as normal.
- noncontagious
near-synonym; slightly more everyday and used of both diseases and people
- noncommunicable
formal public-health term, often for long-term conditions like heart disease
- infectious
the disease can spread to others
- contagious
spreads especially through close contact
用法筆記
Almost always modifies a disease or medical condition. Distinguish from sense 2, which describes a person, animal, or surface that cannot pass an illness on rather than the illness itself.
常見錯誤
2. describes a person, animal, or object that is no longer able to give an illness
describes a person, animal, or object that is no longer able to give an illness to others, often after treatment or a period of recovery.
After two weeks of medicine, Tariq was finally noninfectious and could return to his office.
person becomes noninfectious after treatment
The nurse explained that Greta was now noninfectious, so the family could visit without gowns.
Once the patient is noninfectious, the hospital moves them out of the isolation room.
The lab marked the cleaned tools as noninfectious before the next surgery began.
Eitan stayed home until a test showed he was noninfectious and safe around his grandparents.
- noncontagious
common alternative when talking about a recovered person
- infectious
the person or thing can still pass the illness on
- contagious
able to spread illness, especially by touch or closeness
用法筆記
Subject is a person, animal, or surface, not the disease itself. Often follows a treatment or waiting period ('now noninfectious', 'finally noninfectious'). Contrast with sense 1, where the word labels the illness.