chlamydia
noun
chla·myd·ia
klə-ˈmi-dē-ə 
plural chlamydiae
klə-ˈmi-dē-ˌē
1
: any of a genus (Chlamydia, family Chlamydiaceae) of spherical gram-negative intracellular bacteria
especially
: one (C. trachomatis) that causes or is associated with various diseases of the eye and urogenital tract including trachoma, lymphogranuloma venereum, cervicitis, and some forms of urethritis
2
: a disease or infection caused by chlamydiae
Examples of chlamydia in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
At-home test tackles three most common STIs Chlamydia, gonorrhea and trichomoniasis are three of the most prevalent STIs in the U.S.
Both chlamydia and gonorrhea are bacterial infections, while trichomoniasis is caused by a parasite.
—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2025
On a national level, gonorrhea infections decreased by 7% from 2022 to 2023, while chlamydia rates held steady and syphilis infections continued to rise, though at a slower pace than before.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Mar. 2025
This typically checks for a bunch of heavy hitters at once, Dr. Ross says, including, yes, BV and yeast, but also trichomoniasis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 27 Feb. 2025
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Inbreeding or chlamydia?
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025
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Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2025
On a national level, gonorrhea infections decreased by 7% from 2022 to 2023, while chlamydia rates held steady and syphilis infections continued to rise, though at a slower pace than before.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Mar. 2025
This typically checks for a bunch of heavy hitters at once, Dr. Ross says, including, yes, BV and yeast, but also trichomoniasis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 27 Feb. 2025
Newsletter Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news
Inbreeding or chlamydia?
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chlamydia
Cite this Entry
“Chlamydia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chlamydia. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
chlamydia
noun
chla·myd·ia
klə-ˈmid-ē-ə
1
capitalized
: the type genus of the family Chlamydiaceae comprising coccoid to spherical gram-negative intracellular parasitic bacteria and including one (C. trachomatis) that causes or is associated with various diseases of the eye and genitourinary tract including trachoma, lymphogranuloma venereum, cervicitis, and some forms of nongonococcal urethritis
2
plural chlamydiae
-ē-ˌē, -ˌī
also chlamydias
also chlamydias
a
: a bacterium of the genus Chlamydia
b
: an infection or disease caused by a bacterium of the genus Chlamydia
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