viral
VY-ruhl
/ˈvaɪ.rəl/
Circulated rapidly and widely from one internet user to another.
Describes the speed and exponential reach of content sharing, borrowing the biological image of a fast-spreading virus.
The story behind the word. Originally an early 19th-century medical term derived from Latin 'virus' (poison), the word evolved to describe biological pathogens. Media critics in the late 1980s began using 'viral' metaphorically to describe computer viruses and fast-spreading information trends.
Word relationships
- widespread: 'Widespread' indicates broad distribution but lacks the connotation of rapid, exponential user-to-user sharing.
- popular: 'Popular' means well-liked over time, whereas 'viral' focuses on explosive velocity of distribution.
- obscure: 'Obscure' means unknown or seen by very few people.
Commonly confused with
- bacterial: 'Bacterial' refers to single-celled organisms, whereas 'viral' in tech metaphorically denotes rapid self-replication across networks.
Word family
- virality (noun): The tendency of an image, video, or piece of information to be circulated rapidly.
- virally (adverb): In a viral manner.
Collocations
- go viral
- viral video
- viral marketing
- viral sensation
Example sentences
- "Within twenty-four hours of being uploaded, the candid bedroom acoustic cover went viral across video sharing services worldwide." Tech Journalism
- "The marketing team hoped their clever advert would go viral, but audience interest waned after a single afternoon." Marketing Strategy
Memory hook
Spreads as fast as a biological virus through a crowd. Catchy content spreads like a bug.
When not to use
Ensure clarity in medical contexts so that internet content propagation is not confused with medical virology.
Fun facts
- One of the earliest documented uses of 'viral marketing' appeared in a 1996 issue of Fast Company, describing how Hotmail attached promotional signatures to every outbound email.
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