endemic
- 01 C1 Advanced
describes a plant or animal that lives naturally in only one specific area.
native to or restricted to a certain country or area. Often used in biological contexts to describe species not found elsewhere.
Simple“The kangaroo is endemic to Australia and cannot be found in the wild elsewhere.”
In context“Conservationists are working to protect the endemic flora of the island, which evolved in isolation for millions of years.”
UsageUsually placed before the noun or after a linking verb like 'be'.
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
describes a disease or a social problem that is always present in a particular place or group.
regularly found among particular people or in a certain area. In epidemiology, it refers to a disease that is constantly maintained at a baseline level in a geographic area.
Simple“Malaria is endemic in some tropical regions where mosquitoes are common.”
In context“Sociologists argue that corruption has become endemic within the local government, affecting every level of administration.”
UsageOften followed by the preposition 'in' or 'to'.
Synonyms
“Monkeypox is not a new disease, and in some African countries it is endemic.”
“There’s no additional funding to retain probation staff, especially experienced ones, despite endemic staffing problems in many key roles across England and Wales.”
From Ancient Greek ἐν (en, “in”) + δῆμος (dêmos, “people”). Possibly via ἔνδημος (éndēmos, “among one's people, at home, native”) and/or French endémique. By surface analysis, en- + demic.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.