adj

pandemic

pan-DEH-mihk

adj

Describing a disease that has spread across a wide geographic area, affecting a large part of the population.

"The virus was declared pandemic once it had spread to multiple continents."

noun

An outbreak of a disease that spreads across countries or continents and affects a large number of people.

"The COVID-19 pandemic changed how people work and travel."

"Historians still study the 1918 flu pandemic for lessons on public health."

How to Use Pandemic

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA disease outbreak so widespread it affects multiple countries or the whole world, as opposed to a more localised "epidemic."

Common mistake

A pandemic is broader than an epidemic — an epidemic is confined to one region or country, while a pandemic spans multiple countries or continents.

Easily confused with

epidemic →

Common pairings

global pandemic declare a pandemic pandemic response

more pandemic comparative, pandemics plural, most pandemic superlative

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Can you complete this real example?

The virus was declared _____ once it had spread to multiple continents.

From Greek pandemos, "of all the people" (pan- "all" + demos "the people"), combined with the adjective-forming suffix "-ic."

anemic endemic epidemic academic systemic