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

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pandemic

2 of 2

adjective

as in widespread

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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 sisters have faced plenty of challenges while running an international travel tourism company, including the COVID pandemic. — Brianna Randall, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 Since the pandemic, the number of youth visiting emergency rooms for anxiety, suicidal ideation and depression has skyrocketed. — Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 18 Aug. 2026
Adjective
This summer has been the biggest since the pandemic upended the industry, with revenues surpassing $4 billion for only the second time since COVID. — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026 Connecticut’s chief heating and energy assistance grant will increase this winter, according to a plan recently approved by state legislators, but aid remains below pre-pandemic levels. — Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 19 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
  • The state alleges OpenAI's rapid success stems from deceit and exploitation, causing widespread harm to Floridians and subverting public order.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The better path is to recognize that the current strategy of widespread attacks and long operational pauses isn’t working, but that surrendering to Iran’s demands isn’t an acceptable outcome.
    — Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of widespread
Adjective
  • There is a pervasive failure by many nonprofit boards to hold management accountable to clear expectations tied to mission, including financial performance.
    — Ryan Dewey Smith, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Last summer, organizers began employing the concept for violence prevention and intervention, as community members and stakeholders continually seek new ways to combat pervasive gun violence.
    — Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 15 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
  • But it was decided this would not happen following a meeting between Mourinho, Real Madrid’s general manager Jose Angel Sanchez, head of scouting Juni Calafat and Mourinho’s agent Jorge Mendes at the Santo Mauro Hotel in central Madrid.
    — Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The group said the average consumer spend for parts at a dealer was $261, versus $275 at a general repair shop.
    — Robert Ferris, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of general
Adjective
  • In a country where poverty is rife and malnutrition strikes the most vulnerable, such income losses can be critical.
    — ABDUL QAHAR AFGHAN, Fortune, 19 Aug. 2026
  • 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
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
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Cite this Entry

“Pandemic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pandemic. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on pandemic

Nglish: Translation of pandemic for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pandemic

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