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

One complication: Many tech companies overhired coming out of the pandemic, and then began reducing their workforces right around when ChatGPT was first released in November 2022.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 7, 2026

Inglis, from Edinburgh, was one of 16 Covid-related deaths in Scotland's prisons during the pandemic.

From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026

It has become more erratic and unreliable since the pandemic, at least on first read.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026

During the pandemic, food producers, distributors and retailers rushed to take on additional temperature-controlled space to meet surging consumer demand.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026

I was struck over and over by similarities between their times and ours, including: countrywide divisions, political name-calling, competing media outlets, new technologies, conspiracy theories, an addiction crisis, a pandemic, and the emphasis on fame.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

Rajaniemi first met Sam Altman in 2016, when the OpenAI chief was still working with the startup incubator Y Combinator and the two discussed pandemics.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 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

They seem to have an occasional accident, but they have not yet, so far as I know, produced global pandemics.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

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