Epidemic meaning

What does “epidemic” mean? Definitions, examples, synonyms and opposites.

“epidemic” is a noun and adjective with 2 meanings. Its most common meaning is: a widespread outbreak of an infectious disease; many people are infected at the same time.

epidemic

noun

  1. a widespread outbreak of an infectious disease; many people are infected at the same time

adjective

  1. (especially of medicine) of disease or anything resembling a disease; attacking or affecting many individuals in a community or a population simultaneously

    “an epidemic outbreak of influenza”

Source: WordNet 3.1, Princeton University