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GRE vocabulary

pathogenic

adjectiveHigh-frequency wordMore P words

capable of causing disease

Word origin: From Greek pathos (suffering, disease) and genes (producing).

In a sentence

Pathogenic in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing pathogenic in a sentence.

Researchers identified the pathogenic bacteria responsible for the outbreak.

Researchers isolated the pathogenic strain responsible for the outbreak in the water supply.

Synonyms
disease-causinginfectioustoxicvirulent
Antonyms
Usage & nuance

Using “pathogenic” well

Pathogenic means disease-causing and is largely technical. Do not confuse it with pathological, which describes disease itself or compulsive behavior.

Common questions

Questions about “pathogenic

Pathogenic (adjective) means capable of causing disease
Here is pathogenic used in an example sentence: "Researchers identified the pathogenic bacteria responsible for the outbreak." Another example: "Researchers isolated the pathogenic strain responsible for the outbreak in the water supply."
Common synonyms for pathogenic include disease-causing, infectious, toxic, virulent.
Antonyms of pathogenic include benign, harmless, salubrious.
On the GRE, pathogenic clusters with disease-causing, infectious, and virulent, opposing benign, harmless, and salubrious.
Yes. Pathogenic is a high-frequency GRE word, so it is worth prioritising as you build your vocabulary.

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