epidemic
B2Formal, Academic, Journalistic
Definition
Meaning
A widespread occurrence of an infectious disease in a community at a particular time.
A sudden, widespread occurrence of a particular undesirable phenomenon.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
While core meaning is medical, figurative extension (e.g., 'an epidemic of violence') is very common. It denotes rapid spread and high incidence within a specific population or area over a defined period.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or use. Spelling is consistent.
Connotations
Equally negative in both varieties, carrying connotations of crisis, urgency, and lack of control.
Frequency
High frequency in both varieties, especially in news and academic contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
N of N (an epidemic of flu)ADJ epidemic (a major epidemic)V epidemic (to cause an epidemic)PREP during/after the epidemicVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “go epidemic”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
'The company faced an epidemic of employee burnout following the merger.'
Academic
'The researchers modelled the factors contributing to the obesity epidemic.'
Everyday
'There seems to be an epidemic of nasty colds going around the school.'
Technical
'The epidemic curve showed a sharp peak in cases during week 14.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The disease began to epidemic through the coastal towns.
- Rumours of the closure are epidemicking panic among staff.
American English
- Violence epidemicked across the city after the verdict.
- The trend epidemicked on social media almost overnight.
adverb
British English
- The virus spread epidemically through the densely packed neighbourhood.
- Gossip travelled epidemically within the small office.
American English
- The idea caught on epidemically across college campuses.
- The software failure propagated epidemically through the network.
adjective
British English
- The health authority reported epidemic levels of flu-like illness.
- Epidemic hysteria followed the controversial announcement.
American English
- The city faced epidemic proportions of homelessness.
- The team is dealing with an epidemic number of injuries this season.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Many people were ill during the epidemic.
- The doctor talked about the flu epidemic.
- Health officials are working hard to stop the epidemic.
- There was a measles epidemic in the city last year.
- The government was criticised for its slow response to the growing epidemic.
- Social media has been blamed for an epidemic of misinformation.
- The report analysed the socio-economic drivers behind the opioid epidemic.
- The metaphor of a 'viral idea' stems from our understanding of how trends spread epidemically.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: EPI (upon) + DEMIC (people) = a disease upon the people.
Conceptual Metaphor
AN EPIDEMIC IS A FIRE/WAVE (spreads rapidly, engulfs populations, needs to be contained).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid directly translating 'epidemic' as 'эпидемия' when used figuratively; consider 'вспышка', 'волна', or 'повальное увлечение' depending on context (e.g., 'an epidemic of fake news' – 'волна фейковых новостей').
Common Mistakes
- Confusing 'epidemic' (widespread in a community) with 'pandemic' (worldwide). Using 'epidemic' as a countable noun without an article (e.g., 'Government is fighting epidemic').
Practice
Quiz
What is the key distinguishing feature of an 'epidemic' (vs. a 'pandemic')?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
An 'epidemic' is a sudden, widespread occurrence of a disease in a specific community or region. A 'pandemic' is an epidemic that has spread over multiple countries or continents, affecting a large number of people globally.
Yes, it is commonly used figuratively to describe the rapid spread of any negative phenomenon, e.g., 'an epidemic of knife crime' or 'an epidemic of loneliness'.
It is primarily used as a noun ('fight the epidemic'), but it can also function attributively as an adjective ('epidemic disease') and, less commonly, as a verb or adverb.
It comes from the French 'épidémique', via late Latin from Greek 'epidēmios' (prevalent), from 'epi' (upon) + 'dēmos' (the people).
Collections
Part of a collection
Global Issues
B2 · 47 words · Vocabulary for discussing world problems and politics.