epidemic
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a large number of people in a community catching the same disease at the same time.
n.an outbreak of an infectious disease that spreads rapidly among many individuals in a population at a specific time.
Simple“The city took quick action to stop the flu epidemic before schools opened.”
In context“Public health officials monitored the cholera epidemic closely, implementing strict water sanitation protocols to curb the rising infection rate.”
UsageOften used with 'of' followed by the name of the disease.
Synonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
n.the sudden and quick spread of something harmful or unwanted, like crime or a bad habit.
n.a sudden, widespread occurrence of a particular undesirable phenomenon or social problem.
Simple“The town is facing an epidemic of car thefts this summer.”
In context“Sociologists are investigating the current epidemic of loneliness among young adults living in major urban centres.”
UsageCommonly used in journalism to describe social crises.
- 03 C1 Advanced
adj.describing something that is spreading very fast and affecting many people.
adj.relating to or of the nature of an epidemic; extremely prevalent or widespread.
Simple“The problem of fake news has reached epidemic proportions on social media.”
In context“The corruption within the local government became epidemic, eventually leading to a complete overhaul of the administrative staff.”
UsageUsually precedes the noun it modifies.
Usage epidemic in the country's
“The loneliness epidemic, compounded by the era of constant digital distraction and social comparison, is a serious public health risk.”
“Just three months into this Ebola emergency, the death toll is already close to the total number of people killed in the 2018 to 2020 epidemic, which saw fewer overall cases.”
From French épidémique, from épidémie, from Medieval Latin epidēmia, reanalysis of plural Late Latin epidēmia, from Ancient Greek ἐπιδήμιος (epidḗmios), from ἐπί (epí, “upon”) + δῆμος (dêmos, “people”). By surface analysis, epi- (“on”) + demic (“of the people”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.