Main Entry: ¹ep·i·dem·ic

Pronunciation: \ˌe-pə-ˈde-mik\

Function: adjective

Etymology: French épidémique, from Middle French, from epidemie, noun, epidemic, from Late Latin epidemia, from Greek epidēmia visit, epidemic, from epidēmos visiting, epidemic, from epi- + dēmos people — more at demagogue

Date: 1603

1 : affecting or tending to affect a disproportionately large number of individuals within a population, community, or region at the same time <typhoid was epidemic>
2 a : excessively prevalent b : contagious 4 <epidemic laughter>
3 : of, relating to, or constituting an epidemic <the practice had reached epidemic proportions>

— ep·i·dem·i·cal \-ˈde-mi-kəl\ adjective

— ep·i·dem·i·cal·ly \-ˈde-mi-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

— ep·i·de·mic·i·ty \-də-ˈmi-sə-tē\ noun