endemic

Endemic is an adjective that means natural to, native to, confined to, or widespread within a place or population of people. 

Endemic is perhaps most commonly used to describe a disease that is prevalent in or restricted to a particular location, region, or population. For example, malaria is said to be endemic to tropical regions.

In this context, it can also be used as a noun: an endemic disease can simply be called an endemic. 

When used to describe species of plants or animals that are found only within a specific place, it has the same meaning as native or indigenous, as in This plant is endemic to this region.

It can also be applied to characteristics of a people, place, or situation, as in Corruption was endemic in that organization when I worked there.

The first records of endemic in English come from the mid-1600s. It comes from the Greek éndēm(os). The prefix en- means “in or within” and the Greek root dēm(os) means “people.” So the basic meaning of endemic is “within a certain people” (or “within a certain area”). The same root forms the basis of democracy (government by the people), as well as epidemic and pandemic—which will be discussed later in this section. 

Endemic often means the same thing as native or indigenous, but you typically wouldn’t describe people as endemic to a region. Instead, that meaning is usually applied to species of plants or animals found only in a particular place. 

This sense of endemic is sometimes extended to the conditions or characteristics of a certain place or situation to indicate that they are widespread or occur naturally there. This is most often applied to negative qualities, as in Unemployment is endemic here. This usage likens such a condition to an endemic disease, which is perhaps how the word is most commonly used. 

A disease can be described as endemic when it’s confined to a particular place. For example, polio is endemic in a few countries where its spread has not been contained. Other diseases, though, are considered endemic if they have become established within the general population. Chickenpox is considered endemic in this way. When a disease is considered endemic, it does not necessarily mean it’s very common—it simply means it’s constantly present at some level. 

What’s the difference between endemic, epidemic, and pandemic?

The word endemic should not be confused with epidemic (or pandemic)—but the words are based on the same root, and there are some connections between the terms. All three can be used as both nouns and adjectives.

An epidemic involves a sudden and unusual increase in new cases of a disease within a location or region. Epidemics happen when a disease is highly contagious—meaning it spreads easily. A pandemic is an epidemic that has gone global (the prefix pan- means “all”). Due to its worldwide reach, a pandemic can lead to a disease becoming endemic (as opposed to being largely contained or eradicated through the use of vaccines, for example).

What are some other forms related to endemic?

• endemical (adjective)
• endemically (adverb)
• endemism (noun)
• nonendemic (adjective)
• unendemic (adjective)

What are some synonyms for endemic?

• native
• indigenous

What are some words that share a root or word element with endemic? 

• pandemic
• epidemic
• democracy
• encircle

What are some words that often get used in discussing endemic?

• disease
• species
• plant
• animal
• problem
• corruption
• violence
• country
• region
• area
• local

What are some words endemic may be confused with?

• epidemic
• pandemic

Endemic is often used in a scientific context, especially in the discussion of disease and native plants and animals.

With 260,000 volunteers and workers on the job, Pakistani officials hope to reach 38.7 million kids in the push to eradicate polio in the country—one of 3, along with Afghanistan and Nigeria, where the disease is endemic. https://t.co/OtWKHSjv8h

— Global Health NOW (@ghn_news) April 14, 2018

The crowned seahorse is endemic to Japan.

(Photos: David Hall) pic.twitter.com/KA64RbDC8y

— A Book of Rather Strange Animals (@StrangeAnimaIs) December 24, 2019

Imagine if news editors considered the endemic problems in our justice system to be as worthy of wall-to-wall coverage as an ill-advised tweet about a fox.

— The Secret Barrister (@BarristerSecret) December 27, 2019

Is endemic used correctly in the following sentence? 

“With proper use of a vaccine, we can eradicate this endemic.”