Epidemic
WordNet
adjective
(1) (especially of medicine) of disease or anything resembling a disease; attacking or affecting many individuals in a community or a population simultaneously
"An epidemic outbreak of influenza"
noun
(2) A widespread outbreak of an infectious disease; many people are infected at the same time
WiktionaryText
Etymology
From < , from , from < + .
Noun
- A widespread disease that affects many individuals in a population.
- An occurrence of a disease or disorder in a population at a frequency higher than that expected in a given time period.
Adjective
- Like or having to do with an epidemic; widespread
- Epidemic hysteria occurred upon the incumbent’s reelection.
- 2003, James C. Howell, Preventing & Reducing Juvenile Delinquency: A Comprehensive Framework, SAGE Publications, ISBN 978-0-7619-2509-5, page 19:
- This proportion increased about 5% from 1988 to 1992—hardly a change of epidemic proportions.