acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

== English == === Alternative forms === acquired immune deficiency syndrome === Etymology === Introduced on July 27, 1982 at a Washington, D.C. meeting that involved gay-community leaders, federal bureaucrats, and representatives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It was created as a replacement for the former term for the disease, gay-related immunodeficiency (GRID), which was deemed misleading after determining that AIDS was not isolated to the gay community. === Pronunciation === === Noun === acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (uncountable) (pathology) A medical condition caused by advanced infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), characterized by a low CD4+ cell count or a range of clinical presentations (such as specific opportunistic infections and cancers). Synonyms: AIDS (acronym); see also Thesaurus:acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (loosely) Synonym of HIV/AIDS. ==== Translations ==== === References === === Further reading === “acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.