acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

noun

A medical condition caused by advanced infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), characterized by a low CD4⁺ cell count or a range of clinical presentations (such as specific opportunistic infections and cancers).

Similar
AIDSHIV/AIDS4H diseasegay cancergay plaguegay-related immunodeficiencyGRID
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Meanings

nounacquired immunodeficiency syndrome (uncountable)

alternative acquired immune deficiency syndrome

  1. uncountablemedicineA medical condition caused by advanced infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), characterized by a low CD4⁺ cell count or a range of clinical presentations (such as specific opportunistic infections and cancers).

    Synonyms: AIDS

    1. broadlyuncountablemedicineSynonym of HIV/AIDS.

      Synonyms: AIDS, HIV/AIDS

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA medical condition caused by advanced infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), characterized by a low CD4⁺ cell count or a range of clinical presentations (such as specific opportunistic infections and cancers).

Similar
AIDS

nounSynonym of HIV/AIDS.

Similar
AIDSHIV/AIDS
Similar
4H diseasegay cancergay plaguegay-related immunodeficiencyGRID
Broader
HIV/AIDSHIV diseaseHIV infectionHIVsexually transmitted diseaseSTDsexually transmitted infectionSTIvenereal diseaseinfectious diseasedisease
Also see
4h diseaseaidsgay cancergay plaguegay-related immunodeficiencygridhiv

Origin

Introduced on July 27, 1982 at a Washington, D.C. meeting that involved gay-community leaders, federal bureaucrats, and representatives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It was created as a replacement for the former term for the disease, gay-related immunodeficiency (GRID), which was deemed misleading after determining that AIDS was not isolated to the gay community.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic مُتَلَازِمَة نَقْص المَنَاعَة المُكْتَسَب
  • مُتَلَازِمَة نَقْص المَنَاعَة المُكْتَسَب (mutalāzimat naqṣ al-manāʕa l-muktasab)medical condition caused by advanced infection with HIV — see also AIDS
Basque hartutako inmuno eskasiaren sindromea
  • hartutako inmuno eskasiaren sindromeamedical condition caused by advanced infection with HIV — see also AIDS
Chinese Mandarin 後天免疫力缺乏症候群 /后天免疫力缺乏症候群, 獲得性免疫缺陷綜合徵 /获得性免疫缺陷综合征
  • 後天免疫力缺乏症候群 /后天免疫力缺乏症候群 (hòutiān miǎnyìlì quēfá zhènghòuqún)medical condition caused by advanced infection with HIV — see also AIDS
  • 獲得性免疫缺陷綜合徵 /获得性免疫缺陷综合征 (huòdéxìng miǎnyì quēxiàn zōnghézhēng)medical condition caused by advanced infection with HIV — see also AIDS
Esperanto akirita imundeficita sindromo
  • akirita imundeficita sindromomedical condition caused by advanced infection with HIV — see also AIDS
Finnish immuunikato
  • immuunikatomedical condition caused by advanced infection with HIV — see also AIDS
French syndrome d'immunodéficience acquise
  • syndrome d'immunodéficience acquisemedical condition caused by advanced infection with HIV — see also AIDS
German erworbenes Immundefektsyndrom
  • erworbenes Immundefektsyndrommedical condition caused by advanced infection with HIV — see also AIDS
Greek σύνδρομο επίκτητης ανοσολογικής ανεπάρκειας
  • σύνδρομο επίκτητης ανοσολογικής ανεπάρκειας (sýndromo epíktitis anosologikís anepárkeias)medical condition caused by advanced infection with HIV — see also AIDS
Hungarian szerzett immunhiányos tünetegyüttes
  • szerzett immunhiányos tünetegyüttesmedical condition caused by advanced infection with HIV — see also AIDS
Icelandic alnæmi
  • alnæmimedical condition caused by advanced infection with HIV — see also AIDS
Irish siondróm easpa imdhíonachta faighte
  • siondróm easpa imdhíonachta faightemedical condition caused by advanced infection with HIV — see also AIDS
Italian sindrome da immunodeficienza acquisita
  • sindrome da immunodeficienza acquisitamedical condition caused by advanced infection with HIV — see also AIDS
Japanese 後天性免疫不全症候群
  • 後天性免疫不全症候群 (kōtensei men'ekifuzen shōkōgun)medical condition caused by advanced infection with HIV — see also AIDS
Korean 후천성면역결핍증
  • 후천성면역결핍증 (hucheonseong myeonyeok gyeolpiljeung)medical condition caused by advanced infection with HIV — see also AIDS
Latin syndrome comparati defectus immunitatis
  • syndrome comparati defectus immunitatismedical condition caused by advanced infection with HIV — see also AIDS
Māori mate ārai-kore
  • mate ārai-koremedical condition caused by advanced infection with HIV — see also AIDS
Persian نشانگان نقص ایمنی اکتسابی
  • نشانگان نقص ایمنی اکتسابی (nešângân-e naqs-e imeni-ye ektesâbi)medical condition caused by advanced infection with HIV — see also AIDS
Polish zespół nabytego upośledzenia odporności, zespół nabytego niedoboru odporności
  • zespół nabytego upośledzenia odpornościmedical condition caused by advanced infection with HIV — see also AIDS
  • zespół nabytego niedoboru odpornościmedical condition caused by advanced infection with HIV — see also AIDS
Portuguese síndrome da imunodeficiência adquirida
  • síndrome da imunodeficiência adquiridamedical condition caused by advanced infection with HIV — see also AIDS
Romanian sindromul imunodeficienței autodobândite
  • sindromul imunodeficienței autodobânditemedical condition caused by advanced infection with HIV — see also AIDS
Russian синдро́м приобретённого иммунодефици́та
  • синдро́м приобретённого иммунодефици́та (sindróm priobretjónnovo immunodeficíta)medical condition caused by advanced infection with HIV — see also AIDS
Scottish Gaelic annlochd inneamh dìon-slàinte
  • annlochd inneamh dìon-slàintemedical condition caused by advanced infection with HIV — see also AIDS
Spanish síndrome de inmunodeficiencia adquirida
  • síndrome de inmunodeficiencia adquiridamedical condition caused by advanced infection with HIV — see also AIDS
Swahili upungufu wa kinga mwilini
  • upungufu wa kinga mwilinimedical condition caused by advanced infection with HIV — see also AIDS
Thai กลุ่มอาการภูมิคุ้มกันเสื่อม
  • กลุ่มอาการภูมิคุ้มกันเสื่อมmedical condition caused by advanced infection with HIV — see also AIDS
Turkish edinilmiş bağışıklık eksikliği sendromu
  • edinilmiş bağışıklık eksikliği sendromumedical condition caused by advanced infection with HIV — see also AIDS
Ukrainian синдро́м набу́того імунодефіци́ту
  • синдро́м набу́того імунодефіци́ту (syndróm nabútoho imunodeficýtu)medical condition caused by advanced infection with HIV — see also AIDS
Vietnamese hội chứng suy giảm miễn dịch mắc phải, liệt kháng
  • hội chứng suy giảm miễn dịch mắc phảimedical condition caused by advanced infection with HIV — see also AIDS
  • liệt khángmedical condition caused by advanced infection with HIV — see also AIDS
Welsh Afiechyd Imiwnedd Diffygiol
  • Afiechyd Imiwnedd Diffygiolmedical condition caused by advanced infection with HIV — see also AIDS
Cite this entry
APA

acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/acquired%20immunodeficiency%20syndrome

MLA

“acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/acquired%20immunodeficiency%20syndrome. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “acquired immunodeficiency syndrome,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/acquired%20immunodeficiency%20syndrome.

Source: acquired immunodeficiency syndrome on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.