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

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-

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

Having moved quickly into the ready-to-drink market as it boomed following the pandemic, Au Vodka became second only to BuzzBallz in the UK.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

SOSO, or Singles Only Social Club, was born out of a growing desire among young professionals for in-person connections following the pandemic and years of dating app fatigue.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026

Companies last year bought more than 36,700 robots, the highest number of orders since 2022, when businesses were rushing to outfit their warehouses with technology to meet soaring e-commerce demand during the pandemic.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

He adds, "Moreover, sooner or later, there may be another coronavirus pandemic, which means we need to learn all the lessons we can from COVID-19 to be better prepared."

From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026

I’ve had it in varying degrees for years, and a global pandemic didn’t help matters.

From "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell

The group is also fighting Becker’s bill, which would add war to the list of emergencies — such as natural disasters and pandemics — that can trigger California’s price-gouging laws.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

Market corrections, recessions, depressions, pandemics and human folly, along with investing in individual stocks despite the standard advice to diversify your holdings, can all take a toll on retirement savings.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

Major events like wars and pandemics also can disrupt those patterns, as can new technological developments and changing business models.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

The accord aims to prevent future pandemics from the disjointed responses and international disarray that surrounded the coronavirus crisis, by improving global coordination, surveillance and access to vaccines.

From Barron's ● Apr. 27, 2026

Why hypothesize the existence of vast, super-deadly pandemics that seem unlike anything else in the historical record?

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann