# epidemic

Pronunciation: say "ep-i-DEM-ik" /ˌɛpɪˈdɛmɪk/

## Noun

1. A widespread disease that affects large numbers of people within a population.
   - Simple: A disease that spreads quickly and affects many people across an area.
   - _The cholera epidemic swept through the city within a few weeks._
   - _Health officials declared an epidemic after reported cases suddenly doubled._
3. A sharp increase in how often something harmful occurs. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: A sudden rise in something bad that affects many people.
   - _Experts warn of a growing epidemic of loneliness among older adults._
   - _The neighborhood saw an epidemic of break-ins last summer._
5. An outbreak in which a disease occurs in a population more often than normally expected during a given period.
   - Simple: When a disease appears in many more people than usual over a short time.
   - _The epidemic peaked about three weeks after the first reported cases._
   - _Epidemiologists traced the epidemic to a contaminated water supply._
6. The rapid spread of an idea or belief through a population.
   - Simple: The fast spread of an idea or belief through many people.
   - _A genuine epidemic of conspiracy theories swept across the internet._
   - _The fashion became an epidemic, with everyone copying the same style._

## Adjective

2. Relating to or characteristic of a disease that spreads widely through a human population.
   - Simple: Having to do with a disease that spreads widely among many people.
   - _The illness spread at epidemic speed through the crowded refugee camp._
   - _Officials feared the outbreak had already grown epidemic._
4. Spreading rapidly and uncontrollably through a group, in a damaging way.
   - Simple: Spreading widely and quickly in a harmful way.
   - _Misinformation spread at an epidemic pace across social media._
   - _Corruption had become epidemic within the department._

## Origin

This word came through French épidémique and épidémie, from Medieval Latin epidēmia, which goes back to Ancient Greek epidḗmios, formed from epí ("upon") plus dêmos ("people").

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/epidemic (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).