AIDS

AIDS · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; a chronic, potentially life-threatening disease caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that damages the immune system.

  2. 2.

    (Lowercase, plural of aid) Things that help or assist.

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    AIDS awareness — Education and information about HIV/AIDS prevention.
  • •
    AIDS epidemic — The widespread occurrence of AIDS, especially in the 1980s and 1990s.
  • •
    World AIDS Day — An annual observance on December 1st.

Related words

See also: HIV, immune, virus

Etymology

Acronym for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, coined in 1982 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to describe the newly identified disease.