pandemic 1 of 2

noun

Definition of pandemicnext
as in epidemic
medical an occurrence in which a disease spreads very quickly and affects a large number of people over a wide area or throughout the world The 1918 flu pandemic claimed millions of lives. the AIDS pandemic

Related Words

Relevance

pandemic

2 of 2

adjective

as in widespread

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pandemic
Noun
The two lawmakers have intensely criticized Fauci over the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic for years, with Paul recently releasing diary entries penned by Fauci during the height of the pandemic. — Joe Walsh, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026 Remittances, for example, played a major role in buffering poor countries from the dire economic consequences of the COVID pandemic. — Eghosa E. Osaghae, Foreign Affairs, 11 Aug. 2026
Adjective
July’s figure matches a post-pandemic low reached in January and February, before the Iran war. — Christopher Rugaber, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026 The couple was first charged with several felonies for fraud and theft of COVID-19 pandemic relief funds in 2023. — Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pandemic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pandemic
  1. epidemic
  2. widespread
  3. pervasive
  4. prevalent
  5. general
  6. rife
  7. public
  8. prevailing
Noun
  • Eligibility crisis Defense officials have long warned that America's obesity epidemic is a national security problem, shrinking the pool of young people eligible to serve -- which has translated to reductions in recruitment.
    — Steven Beynon, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • California’s most severe measles epidemic in recent memory occurred between 1988 and 1990 — an era before health officials recommended children receive a second dose of the measles vaccine.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of epidemic
Adjective
  • But he was forced to apologize after his plans to form a subsidiary to run the tournament, which would have opened the door for investors to buy stakes of up to ​20% in a spinout firm, collapsed after widespread backlash across the sport.
    — Joseph Wilkins, CNBC, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Hackney attracted widespread interest from Premier League clubs this summer, holding discussions with around eight potential suitors.
    — Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of widespread
Adjective
  • The cannabis industry is actively addressing its pervasive odor, a significant barrier to public acceptance and legalization.
    — Peter Su, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Both songs, like much of Ono’s musical and visual work, underline and encourage community, humanity, and creativity in everyone while simultaneously excoriating a pervasive malevolence.
    — Katherine Turman, Rolling Stone, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of pervasive
Adjective
  • This pest was prevalent in gardens a couple of years ago and in high enough populations to kill magnolia trees without controlling it.
    — Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Both memes are so prevalent that they were recently added as entries on Know Your Meme, which also hosts a separate entry for Pattinson himself, given his history of going viral.
    — David Mack, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of prevalent
Adjective
  • The general managers described Garcia as Sanchez’s husband and as a hardworking, dedicated family man who supported not only his family in New York but also back in his home country, Colombia.
    — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Carr's connection to the job was through Bruins general manager Darrick Yray, an offensive assistant and an assistant director of football operations at Fresno State during Carr's prolific career with the Bulldogs.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of general
Adjective
  • The impetus for this work, according to the researchers, is that drug-resistant bacteria are rife and growing.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2026
  • This is a more bullish take than the German bank's previous forecast on June 23, written when inflation fears were rife.
    — Joseph Wilkins, CNBC, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of rife
Adjective
  • In April, L3Harris subsidiary Aerojet Rocketdyne made a deal for a $1 billion government investment into the missile-propulsion business L3Harris plans to take public.
    — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Other factors, including enormous public debt piles, are also contributing to elevated yields.
    — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of public
Adjective
  • The group noted the projection was revised upward from an earlier estimate owing to an additional year in the budget window and higher prevailing interest rates.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Likewise, prevailing concepts of Hamlet at the time cast the prince as a wan and melancholic, leading critics to bristle at Bernhardt’s energy.
    — Betsy Golden Kellem, JSTOR Daily, 18 Mar. 2026
Definition of prevailing

Browse Nearby Words

pancakes
pandemic
pandemics
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pandemic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pandemic. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on pandemic

Nglish: Translation of pandemic for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pandemic

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of oxymoron

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All