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Infectious vs Infective - What's the difference?

infectious | infective |

As adjectives the difference between infectious and infective

is that infectious is transmitted from one person to another, usually through the air breathed while infective is able to cause infection; infectious.

As a noun infective is

a person who is capable of spreading a disease by infecting others.

infectious

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • (pathology, of an illness) Transmitted from one person to another, usually through the air breathed.
    • Cancer is not infectious .
    More infectious diseases like the flu are usually less potent.
  • (pathology, of a person) Able to infect others.
    • Despite feeling better, the patient is still infectious .
  • (of feelings and behaviour) Spreading quickly from one person to another.
    • Her enthusiasm for work can be really infectious .
  • (informal) Memorable and invoking excitement or interest.
    • Pop music is more infectious than elevator music.

    Synonyms

    * (transmitted between persons as illness) catching, contagious * (able to infect others) contagious * (spreading quickly between persons) contagious * (memorable and exciting) catchy, contagious

    Derived terms

    * infection * toxicoinfectious

    Anagrams

    *

    infective

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Able to cause infection; infectious

    • Noun

    (en noun)
  • (epidemiology) A person who is capable of spreading a disease by infecting others
  • * {{quote-book, 2002, Belinda Barnes & Glenn Fulford, Mathematical Modeling with Case Studies citation
    • , passage=It is evident that the greater the number of susceptibles, then the greater the increase in the number of infectives .}}

    Coordinate terms

    * immune * susceptible