Meaning
An epidemic is a widespread occurrence of an infectious disease within a specific geographic area or population during a particular time period, characterized by an increase in the number of cases above what is normally expected, often necessitating publi
💡 While "epidemic" is often used to refer specifically to infectious diseases, it can also be applied metaphorically to describe rapid increases in non-infectious phenomena, such as "an epidemic of misinformation." Care should be taken to avoid conflating it with "pandemic," which denotes a more widespread, global occurrence.
Example Sentences
Word in Context
When
news
spread
that
a
local
epidemic
had
emerged
,
the
small
neighbourhood
gathered
at
the
community
centre
to
discuss
practical
steps
.
Residents
,
visibly
concerned
yet
determined
,
listened
as
the
nurse
explained
simple
precautions
everyone
could
adopt
.
They
agreed
to
set
up
a
rota
for
grocery
runs
to
protect
older
neighbours
and
to
monitor
symptoms
carefully
.
Although
the
mood
was
serious
,
people
found
comfort
in
sharing
tasks
and
in
the
clear
guidelines
that
reduced
uncertainty
.
By
keeping
routine
contact
through
brief
check
-
ins
and
by
following
hygiene
measures
,
the
community
hoped
to
mitigate
the
worst
effects
while
awaiting
official
updates
.
Common Phrases
epidemic outbreak
epidemic curve
epidemic control measures
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related Words
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