Word of the Day

: September 13, 2006

endemic

adjective en-DEM-ik

What It Means

1 a : belonging or native to a particular people or country

b : characteristic of or prevalent in a particular field, area, or environment

2 : restricted or peculiar to a locality or region

endemic in Context

Today, cybercafes are endemic to the downtown areas of big cities.

Did You Know?

If you translate it literally, "endemic" means "in the population." It derives from the Greek "endēmos," which joins "en," meaning "in," and "dēmos," meaning "population." "Endemic" is often used to characterize diseases that are generally found in a particular area; malaria, for example, is said to be endemic to tropical and subtropical regions. This use differs from that of the related word "epidemic" in that it indicates a more or less constant presence in a particular population or area rather than a sudden, severe outbreak within that region or group. The word is also used by biologists to characterize the plant and animal species that are only found in a given area.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.