epidemiologist
Americannoun
Explanation
An epidemiologist is a scientist or medical professional who specializes patterns of diseases that spread between people. Epidemiologists study things like the causes and treatment of lung disease, for example. If you're interested in public health or communicable illnesses, you might decide to be an epidemiologist one day. An epidemiologist might study the spread of a strain of the flu, or investigate the causes of a measles outbreak. Epidemiologist comes from epidemiology, "the study of epidemics," which has a Greek root: epidemios, "among the people."
Vocabulary lists containing epidemiologist
This Week In Words: April 19–25, 2020
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Mountains Beyond Mountains
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Brandon Brown, an epidemiologist and professor of medicine with the UC Riverside School of Medicine, contracted the illness in 2018 from what he believes was a salad he ate during a trip.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
Nirav Shah, a state epidemiologist who gained prominence through regular public appearances during the Covid pandemic, finished a close second.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
One idea in that vein was put forward by Nirav Shah, an epidemiologist and former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official who was a runner-up in Maine’s recent Democratic gubernatorial primary.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
Then-Mayor Rodrigo Guerrero, a Harvard-trained epidemiologist, began treating homicides as a public-health epidemic—mapping violence patterns to deploy police and social programs, a precursor to modern data-driven policing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026
As I mentioned at the opening of the program, you’re an epidemiologist with Johns Hopkins, in contrast with our other guests, who are physicists.
From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly
![]()
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.