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pandemic
/pænˈdemɪk/
What does "pandemic" mean in English?
widespread infectious diseaseThe COVID-19 pandemic disrupted daily life worldwide.
The global outbreak of COVID-19 caused significant changes in how people lived.
How to use "pandemic" correctly: definitions and examples in English?
Medicine
Medicaltechnical
An outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area and affects an exceptionally high proportion of the population.
Public health officials worked tirelessly to contain the pandemic.
Health authorities took extensive measures to stop the disease from spreading further.
Historical pandemics like the Black Death had devastating effects.
Past pandemics, such as the bubonic plague, caused massive loss of life.
Pandemics are often declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) when a disease spreads across multiple countries or continents.
Collocations
global pandemica disease outbreak affecting many countriespandemic responseefforts to control and mitigate a pandemicpandemic fatigueexhaustion from prolonged pandemic conditions
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Pandemic vs. Epidemic
A pandemic affects a much larger area and population than an epidemic, which is more localized.
Gold Rule
Medical Context
In medical contexts, a pandemic is declared when a disease spreads across international borders and affects a significant portion of the population.
Word Origin
From Greek 'pan-' (all) + 'demos' (people), meaning 'affecting all the people'.
Usage Notes
The term is often used in medical and public health contexts but has also entered general usage due to events like COVID-19.
Word Breakdown
pan-
all
prefix-demic
related to people or population
rootEnglish Dictionary