adjective
noun
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Etymology
Origin of pandemic
First recorded in 1660–70; from Late Latin pandēm(us), from Greek pándēmos “common, public” ( pan- “all” + dêm(os) “the people” + -os adjective suffix) + -ic; see pan-
Explanation
Remember the 2009 swine flu? That was a pandemic — an illness that swept over much of the globe. People fear pandemics, and with good reason. The black plague that ran through Asia and Europe in the 1300s is believed to have killed as much as half of Europe's population, between 75 and 100 million folks. The word comes from ancient Greek — pan (meaning "all") and demos (meaning "people"), or simply put — all the people. Of course, people across the globe suffer from the seasonal flu, and many die from it. But it isn't considered a pandemic because it is generally harmless to the healthy.
Vocabulary lists containing pandemic
President Obama's Farewell Address
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Human Geography - High School
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For National Pancake Day, Words With the Greek Roots "Pan-"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Having moved quickly into the ready-to-drink market as it boomed following the pandemic, Au Vodka became second only to BuzzBallz in the UK.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
SOSO, or Singles Only Social Club, was born out of a growing desire among young professionals for in-person connections following the pandemic and years of dating app fatigue.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
Warehouse wages have risen sharply over the past decade, in part fueled by red-hot demand for workers during the pandemic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
He adds, "Moreover, sooner or later, there may be another coronavirus pandemic, which means we need to learn all the lessons we can from COVID-19 to be better prepared."
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
Steve Malone, too, compared Mount St. Helens to the pandemic.
From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone
The group is also fighting Becker’s bill, which would add war to the list of emergencies — such as natural disasters and pandemics — that can trigger California’s price-gouging laws.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
Market corrections, recessions, depressions, pandemics and human folly, along with investing in individual stocks despite the standard advice to diversify your holdings, can all take a toll on retirement savings.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
Influenza A has also driven multiple pandemics, including the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026
Major events like wars and pandemics also can disrupt those patterns, as can new technological developments and changing business models.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
Why hypothesize the existence of vast, super-deadly pandemics that seem unlike anything else in the historical record?
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
