infodemic

[in-foh-dem-ik]

noun

1. a massive amount of widely and rapidly circulating information about a particular crisis or controversial issue, consisting of a confusing combination of fact, falsehood, rumor, and opinion.

   The swine flu infodemic has sparked a national drama that puts our fantasies and fears on public display.

Word History and Origins

Origin of infodemic¹

First recorded in 2000–05; info ( def. ) + (epi)demic ( def. )

Example Sentences

The World Health Organization even labeled the crisis an "infodemic."

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Enough with the infodemic hand-wringing.

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Since COVID-19 first emerged more than three years ago, the World Health Organization has complained of an "infodemic" of misinformation and disinformation around the pandemic.

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With Twitter in new hands and other social media sites downplaying their very real part in spreading misinformation, in 2023 we will need to modify how we as consumers of news decide what to believe and how we navigate the “infodemic.”

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The spread of misinformation during the pandemic has been dubbed an infodemic by the World Health Organization.

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