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pandemic

Saypan-DEM-ik/pænˈdɛmɪk/

Pluralpandemics

5 meanings of pandemic

Practice

  1. 1
    nouncountable
    A disease that spreads across many countries and infects a very large number of people.

    Like a fire that jumps from town to town until it covers a whole country.

    The pandemic forced schools to close their doors for months.

    Doctors feared the new virus could grow into a pandemic.

    Similarepidemic, plague

    Note
  2. 2
    adjective
    Describing a disease that has spread across many countries and infected very many people.

    Doctors feared the flu might turn pandemic by winter.

    A pandemic illness can overwhelm hospitals in many countries at once.

    Similarglobal, worldwide, widespread

    Oppositelocalized, local

    Note
  3. 3
    nouncountable
    The worldwide spread of COVID-19 that began in 2019.

    During the pandemic, we learned to work from home.

    The pandemic changed how people shopped for groceries.

  4. 4
    adjectivederogatory
    So widespread that it feels like a spreading disease, used in a disapproving way.

    Like weeds spreading through every garden until they take over.

    Cheating became almost pandemic in that league.

    Corruption was pandemic across the whole department.

    Similarwidespread, common, universal, pervasive, prevalent

    Oppositerare, uncommon, isolated

    Note

Less common meaning

  1. 5
    adjectiverare
    Alternative letter-case form of Pandemic. This rare small-letter spelling is about love of the body, not of the soul.

    The poet contrasted pure, heavenly love with pandemic longing of the flesh.

    He spoke of pandemic beauty as something of the body, not of the spirit.

    Similarearthly, carnal, sensual

    Oppositecelestial, heavenly

    Note

Practice

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Origin

From Greek pándēmos, meaning "of all the people" or "public," plus the English ending -ic.