pandemic

[ pan-dem-ik ]
See synonyms for: pandemicpandemics on Thesaurus.com

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

  2. general; universal: pandemic fear of atomic war.

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

Origin of pandemic

1
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-

Other words from pandemic

  • pan·de·mi·a [pan-dee-mee-uh], /pænˈdi mi ə/, noun
  • pan·de·mic·i·ty [pan-duh-mis-i-tee], /ˌpæn dəˈmɪs ɪ ti/, noun
  • in·ter·pan·dem·ic, adjective

Words that may be confused with pandemic

Words Nearby pandemic

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use pandemic in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pandemic

pandemic

/ (pænˈdɛmɪk) /


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

noun
  1. a pandemic disease

Origin of pandemic

1
C17: from Late Latin pandēmus, from Greek pandēmos general, from pan- + demos the people

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for pandemic

pandemic

[ păn-dĕmĭk ]


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

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for pandemic

pandemic

A widespread epidemic affecting a large part of the population.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.