acquired immune deficiency syndrome

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome, usually called AIDS, is a condition caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in which the immune system becomes severely compromised, leaving the body vulnerable to infections and cancers it would normally fight off.

The term distinguishes it from inherited immune disorders—this one is acquired through infection.

AIDS emerged as a global health crisis in the 1980s and remains a major cause of death worldwide, though antiretroviral treatments have transformed it from a death sentence into a manageable chronic condition for many.