# infection

> English word · Noun · IPA /ɪnˈfɛkʃən/ · frequency rank #4,093

## Definitions
1. The act or process of infecting.
2. An uncontrolled growth of harmful microorganisms in a host.
3. A disease caused by such presence of a pathogen.
4. A visible sign of such a disease, such as the suppuration of a wound.

## Etymology
From Old French infection, from Late Latin īnfectiō. Equivalent to infect + -ion.

## Easily confused with
- **intention** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/infection-vs-intention)
- **inflation** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/infection-vs-inflation)
- **invention** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/infection-vs-invention)
- **injection** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/infection-vs-injection)
- **insertion** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/infection-vs-insertion)
- **ingestion** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/infection-vs-ingestion)
- **inspection** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/infection-vs-inspection)
- **infectious** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/infection-vs-infectious)
- **injections** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/infection-vs-injections)
- **infraction** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/infection-vs-infraction)
- **inflection** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/infection-vs-inflection)
- **inaction** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/inaction-vs-infection)
- **induction** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/induction-vs-infection)
- **inception** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/inception-vs-infection)
- **infarction** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/infarction-vs-infection)

## Common misspellings (14)
`ifnection`, `inefction`, `infcetion`, `infecction`, `infeciton`, `infecsion`, `infectino`, `infectionn`, `infectoin`, `infecttion`, `infetcion`, `inffection`, `innfection`, `nifection`

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