Main Entry: ep·i·de·mi·ol·o·gy

Pronunciation: \-jē\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural ep·i·de·mi·ol·o·gies

1 : a branch of medical science that deals with the incidence, distribution, and control of disease in a population
2 : the sum of the factors controlling the presence or absence of a disease or pathogen

—ep·i·de·mi·o·log·i·cal \-ˌdē-mē-ə-ˈläj-i-kəl, -ˌdem-ē-\ also ep·i·de·mi·o·log·ic \-ik\ adjective

—ep·i·de·mi·o·log·i·cal·ly \-i-k(ə-)lē\ adverb