epidemic

American  

[ep-i-dem-ik] / ˌɛp ɪˈdɛm ɪk /

adjective

1. 

   Also epidemical (of a disease) affecting many persons at the same time, and spreading from person to person in a locality where the disease is not permanently prevalent.

2. extremely prevalent; widespread.

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noun

• epidemics
  plural

1. a temporary prevalence of a disease.

2. a rapid spread or increase in the occurrence of something.

   an epidemic of riots.

epidemic British  

/ ˌɛpɪˈdɛmɪk /

adjective

1. (esp of a disease) attacking or affecting many persons simultaneously in a community or area

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noun

1. a widespread occurrence of a disease

   an influenza epidemic

2. a rapid development, spread, or growth of something, esp something unpleasant

   an epidemic of strikes

epidemic Scientific  

/ ĕp′ĭ-dĕm′ĭk /

1. An outbreak of a disease or illness that spreads rapidly among individuals in an area or population at the same time.

2. See also endemic pandemic

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epidemic Cultural  

1. A contagious disease that spreads rapidly and widely among the population in an area. Immunization and quarantine are two of the methods used to control an epidemic.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• epidemicity
  noun
• preepidemic
  noun
• interepidemic
  adjective
• epidemically
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• epidemics
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of epidemic

First recorded in 1595–1605; obsolete epidem(y) (from Late Latin epidēmia, from Greek epidēmía “staying in one place, among the people,” equivalent to epi- epi- + dêm(os) “people of a district” + -ia -y ³ ) + -ic

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Explanation

An epidemic is a disease that spreads rapidly among many people in a community at the same time. In the 1980s, the fast-spreading AIDS epidemic transformed life on our planet. Epidemic can be used figuratively to refer to something that spreads or grows rapidly: an epidemic of laziness has taken over the tenth grade. This word is from French épidémique, ultimately from Greek epidēmia "staying in one place, among the people." The related word pandemic refers to a disease that spreads throughout an entire country or throughout the world.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

epidemic epidemics

The federal case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

Russia's public health agency, Rospotrebnadzor, said Wednesday that there was no risk of an epidemic among the wider public.

From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026

Health officials in Uganda, which had 20 cases earlier in the epidemic, didn’t respond to a request for comment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

Experts say the data reflects the impact of the "global obesity epidemic, poor diets and insufficient exercise"

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

That’s what had happened to Father: they’d had an epidemic of cholera on the prison ship he’d been on.

From "My Brother Sam is Dead" by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier

More than half of the deaths were due to the collapse of the health system, along with epidemics and famine.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026

Plague is often linked to rats, packed medieval cities, and the devastating epidemics that tore through Europe during and after the Middle Ages.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 15, 2026

Tung's rocky tenure was marked by the Asian Financial Crisis, two major epidemics, and historic protests which attracted criticism of his administration.

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026

But it remains highly controversial, not least because Kenya must hand over personal health data of its citizens, which could be used by US pharmaceutical labs to prepare for future epidemics.

From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026

More specifically, it is testimony to the power of one specific aspect of context, which is the critical role that groups play in social epidemics.

From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell

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Related Words

• contagion
• outbreak
• pest
• plague
• rash
• scourge
• spread
• wave

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