What Does Infectious Mean?

The term infectious is used to mean capable of causing infection. It could also mean either capable of being transmitted or caused by infection. It could be used to mean caused by a pathogenic agent or micro-organism. The term has also been broadly used to mean something that is easily or readily communicated; easily spread; as in 'the little girl has a gay, infectious laugh'. It has also been used to refer to something that corrupts or contaminates. The term is also applied to mean 'of or pertaining to infection.'

The adverb form of the word infectious is infectiously and the noun form of the same is infectiousness.