pandemic

1 of 2

adjective

pan·​dem·​ic pan-ˈde-mik 

1

: occurring over a wide geographic area (such as multiple countries or continents) and typically affecting a significant proportion of the population

pandemic malaria

The 1918 flu was pandemic and claimed millions of lives.

2

: characterized by very widespread growth or extent : epidemic entry 1 sense 3

a problem of pandemic proportions

pandemic

2 of 2

noun

plural pandemics

1

: an outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area (such as multiple countries or continents) and typically affects a significant proportion of the population : a pandemic outbreak of a disease

a global pandemic

Influenza pandemics seem to strike every few decades and to kill by the million—at least 1m in 1968; perhaps 100m in the "Spanish" flu of 1918-19.

—The Economist

2

: an outbreak or product of sudden rapid spread, growth, or development : epidemic entry 2 sense 2

We have been talking about the pandemic of racism for centuries.

—Roger Griffith

Nobel-prize winning economist Robert Shiller warns a pandemic of fear could tip the economy into an undeserved depression.

—Stephanie Landsman

Usage of Endemic, Epidemic, and Pandemic

This trio of terms describes various degrees of an infectious disease's spread. The process begins with an outbreak—a sudden rise in the presence of a disease. An outbreak that can't be stopped or slowed, and in which the disease is spreading rapidly to many people within a localized community or region (such as a single country), is called an epidemic. The word pandemic refers to an epidemic that has gone international: the disease, once localized in scope, now starts to appear in other countries and even on other continents, typically infecting a large number of people in a short amount of time. A pandemic often has significant economic and social ramifications due to its global impact. If a disease lingers for a long time as an epidemic or a pandemic, it may eventually become endemic to an area. The word endemic describes a disease that persists at a consistent level within a region with fairly predictable rates of infection and spread, making it easier to prevent future outbreaks. Epidemic, pandemic, and endemic all share the Greek root dêmos, meaning "district, country, people."

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a pandemic and an epidemic?

An epidemic is an outbreak of disease that spreads quickly and affects many individuals at the same time. A pandemic is a kind of epidemic: one which has spread across a wider geographic range than an epidemic, and which has affected a significant portion of the population.

When does an outbreak become a pandemic?

An outbreak is “a sudden rise in the incidence of a disease” and typically is confined to a localized area or a specific group of people. Should an outbreak become more severe, and less localized, it may be characterized as an epidemic. If it broadens still further, and affects a significant portion of the population, the disease may be characterized as a pandemic.

What are some examples of pandemics?

There have been a number of pandemics since the beginning of the 20th century: the H1N1 pandemic of 2009, the Spanish flu of 1918/19 (which did not originate in Spain), as well as flu pandemics in 1957 and 1968, and now the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in 2019. Among the best known pandemics is the Black Death, a plague which spread across Asia and Europe in the middle of the 14th century.

Examples of pandemic in a Sentence

Noun

… globalization, the most thoroughgoing socioeconomic upheaval since the Industrial Revolution, which has set off a pandemic of retrogressive nationalism, regional separatism, and religious extremism. —Martin Filler, New York Review of Books, 24 Sept. 2009

… it also hopes to utilize this cultural investigation to better understand strategies to reduce the massive pandemic we now understand cigarette smoking to produce. —Allan M. Brandt, The Cigarette Century, 2007

There is evidence that this gambling pandemic is going global. —Gerri Hirshey, New York Times Magazine, 17 July 1994

In ten years that it raged, this pandemic took or ravaged the lives of nearly five million people before it disappeared, as mysteriously and suddenly as it had arrived, in 1927. —Oliver Sacks, Awakenings, 1973

The 1918 flu pandemic claimed millions of lives.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Thane Maynard, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden director Did Fiona actually miss seeing zoo visitors during the pandemic shutdown? —Sharon Coolidge, The Enquirer, 21 Nov. 2024

The pandemic leveled in-person industries, and the restaurant sector was among the hardest hit, losing millions of jobs overnight. —Alicia Wallace, CNN, 21 Nov. 2024

Noun

While the luxury carmaker saw record sales over the pandemic, its Beyond 100 electrification rollout plan has been postponed due to technical challenges and waning demand for EVs. —Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 23 Nov. 2024

Bartomeu's overspending on the likes of Antoine Griezmann, Ousmane Dembele and Philippe Coutinho with the Neymar money and then some helped put the club on the brink of financial ruin alongside a lack of income such as matchday revenue when the pandemic took hold. —Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Greek pándēmos "of all the people, public, common, (of diseases) widespread (in galen)" (from pan- pan- + -dēmos, adjective derivative of dêmos "district, country, people") + -ic entry 1 — more at demo-

Noun

noun derivative of pandemic entry 1, after epidemic entry 2

First Known Use

Adjective

1659, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1832, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

pandemic

1 of 2 adjective

pan·​dem·​ic pan-ˈdem-ik 

: occurring over a wide area and affecting many individuals

pandemic malaria

pandemic

2 of 2 noun

: a widespread outbreak of a disease

a global pandemic

Medical Definition

pandemic

1 of 2 adjective

pan·​dem·​ic pan-ˈdem-ik 

: occurring over a wide geographic area (as multiple countries or continents) and typically affecting a significant proportion of the population

pandemic malaria

pandemic influenza

pandemic

2 of 2 noun

: an outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area (as multiple countries or continents) and typically affects a significant proportion of the population : a pandemic outbreak of a disease