disseminate
Meaning of disseminate: Disseminate means to spread widely, describing how a disease process, infection, or information extends beyond its original, limited location.
Definition of disseminate
Disseminate means to spread or distribute widely rather than remaining confined to a single, limited area. In medicine, the word most often describes disease that has spread from its original site to other parts of the body, as in disseminated cancer or a disseminated infection, indicating that the process is no longer localized.
The extent to which a disease has disseminated often affects how it is staged, what treatment options are considered, and the overall outlook, since widespread disease generally requires a different approach than one confined to its original location. The term is also used outside of disease spread, such as when referring to disseminating research findings or health information to a wider audience.
Disseminated is closely related to but distinct from metastatic, a term specifically describing cancer that has spread to a new site.
Used in a sentence
Imaging findings were consistent with disseminated disease involving multiple organ systems.
Good to know
Disseminated disease has spread beyond its original site, which generally changes how a condition is staged and managed compared with disease that remains localized.