epidemic
Also ep·i·dem·i·cal . (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.: Compare pandemic (def. 1).
extremely prevalent; widespread.
a temporary prevalence of a disease.
a rapid spread or increase in the occurrence of something: an epidemic of riots.
Origin of epidemic
1Other words from epidemic
- ep·i·dem·i·cal·ly, adverb
- ep·i·de·mic·i·ty [ep-i-duh-mis-i-tee], /ˌɛp ɪ dəˈmɪs ɪ ti/, noun
- in·ter·ep·i·dem·ic, adjective
- pre·ep·i·dem·ic, noun, adjective
Words that may be confused with epidemic
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use epidemic in a sentence
It principally affects the alluvial soil near the mouths of the great rivers, and more particularly the delta Epidemicity.
Dr. Kerr attributed this increase to exacerbation in the type, and epidemicity of the disease.
Prisoners Their Own Warders | J. F. A. McNair
British Dictionary definitions for epidemic
/ (ˌɛpɪˈdɛmɪk) /
(esp of a disease) attacking or affecting many persons simultaneously in a community or area
a widespread occurrence of a disease: an influenza epidemic
a rapid development, spread, or growth of something, esp something unpleasant: an epidemic of strikes
Origin of epidemic
1Derived forms of epidemic
- epidemically, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for epidemic
[ ĕp′ĭ-dĕm′ĭk ]
An outbreak of a disease or illness that spreads rapidly among individuals in an area or population at the same time. See also endemic pandemic.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for epidemic
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.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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