# COVID-19

> English word · Proper noun · IPA /ˈkoʊ.vɪd naɪnˈtin/

## Definitions
1. COVID-19 (disease).
2. SARS-CoV-2 (virus that causes the COVID-19 disease).
3. The COVID-19 pandemic which began in early 2020, and ended sometime in the mid 2020s.

## Etymology
An abbreviation of coronavirus disease + 19 from 2019, the year the virus was discovered. Coined by the World Health Organization on February 11, 2020. Intended to avoid stigma by not referring to a place, animal, career, or group of people.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/covid-19