pandemic

American  

[pan-dem-ik] / pænˈdɛm ɪk /

adjective

1. (of a disease) prevalent throughout an entire country, continent, or the whole world; epidemic over a large area.

2. general; universal.

   pandemic fear of atomic war.

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noun

• pandemics
  plural

1. a disease prevalent throughout an entire country, continent, or the whole world.

pandemic British  

/ pænˈdɛmɪk /

adjective

1. (of a disease) affecting persons over a wide geographical area; extensively epidemic

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noun

1. a pandemic disease

pandemic Scientific  

/ păn-dĕm′ĭk /

1. An epidemic that spreads over a very wide area, such as an entire country or continent.

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pandemic Cultural  

1. A widespread epidemic affecting a large part of the population.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• pandemia
  noun
• pandemicity
  noun
• interpandemic
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• pandemics
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of pandemic

First recorded in 1660–70; from Late Latin pandēm(us), from Greek pándēmos “common, public” ( pan- “all” + dêm(os) “the people” + -os adjective suffix) + -ic; see pan-

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Explanation

Remember the 2009 swine flu? That was a pandemic — an illness that swept over much of the globe. People fear pandemics, and with good reason. The black plague that ran through Asia and Europe in the 1300s is believed to have killed as much as half of Europe's population, between 75 and 100 million folks. The word comes from ancient Greek — pan (meaning "all") and demos (meaning "people"), or simply put — all the people. Of course, people across the globe suffer from the seasonal flu, and many die from it. But it isn't considered a pandemic because it is generally harmless to the healthy.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pandemic pandemics

Crow-Armstrong signed autographs for kids, met with varsity players and humbly talked about what he had learned from his high school days that abruptly ended in the spring of 2020 because of the pandemic.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 13, 2026

Cancer screenings and diagnoses were affected during the pandemic, potentially changing when cases were detected.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 12, 2026

The wars in Ukraine and Iran, a pandemic, and paralysis in the Security Council have tested Guterres' skills as a diplomat but on fossil fuels the UN chief has rarely pulled any punches.

From Barron's ● Nov. 12, 2026

Home prices are at or near all-time highs in many markets, and mortgage rates remain over 6%, higher than before the pandemic.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 11, 2026

I definitely didn’t mention the great pandemic from back in the twenties.

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera

Other research areas include reducing wildfire risk and fighting pandemics and climate change.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

Bunch “briefed the Regents on his efforts to navigate the dual pandemics caused by the Coronavirus and issues surrounding race, racism, and racial identity,” the minutes of the June 2020 meeting stated.

From Salon ● Sep. 25, 2026

A major challenge in studying historical pandemics is figuring out exactly when ancient infections occurred.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026

He added that El Niño, as well as global shipping disruption and the threat of pandemics, mean you cannot "just rely on the private sector coming through every single time".

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026

Nobody knows how many died during the pandemics of the 1770s and 1780s, but even if one had a number it wouldn't begin to tally the impact.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

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