Word

epidemic

noun C1

/ˌɛpɪˈdɛmɪk/

Meanings

noun

a rapid spread of an infectious disease affecting many people in one area or community

noun

a sudden, widespread increase in an undesirable behavior or problem

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Definition

An epidemic is a rapid spread of a disease in a particular community or region.

An epidemic happens when an infectious disease spreads quickly and affects many people in a specific place over a short period. It is usually larger than expected for that area, but it does not have to spread worldwide. People also use the word more broadly for something that grows suddenly and widely, such as a social problem.

Examples

The town closed its schools for a week as the epidemic spread faster than officials had predicted.
I studied the epidemic’s timeline to understand how small delays in reporting can distort the data.
They blamed an epidemic of misinformation for the sudden surge of panic in their neighborhood.
She reported on the epidemic with care, separating confirmed facts from rumors in her article.

Common mistake

Learners sometimes confuse epidemic with pandemic; an epidemic is limited to a region, while a pandemic spreads across many countries or continents.