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Added 10 October 2026

virulence

/ˈvɪɹjələns/ noun

Latin root: virulentia Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about virulence at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Extreme harmfulness (as the capacity of a microorganism to cause disease).
the virulence of the plague
Extreme hostility.
the virulence of the malicious old man

Origin

From Middle French virulence, from Late Latin virulentia.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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