epidemic
adjective
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.
epidemics
-
pluralof epidemic.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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.
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
Taken together, the evidence suggests that some of the earliest known plague outbreaks may already have been as deadly as later historical epidemics, particularly for children.
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
"Respect for humanitarian personnel and humanitarian activities is essential to ensuring that communities affected by epidemics and other crises continue to receive the assistance and services they urgently need," it said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 24, 2026
The second of the principles of epidemics — that little changes can somehow have big effects — is also a fairly radical notion.
From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell
