pandemic

The word “pandemic” means describing a disease that has spread across a wide geographic area, affecting a large part of the population. In plain terms, a disease outbreak so widespread it affects multiple countries or the whole world, as opposed to a more localised "epidemic.".

“Pandemic” is pronounced pan-DEH-mihk (/pænˈdɛmɪk/ in IPA).

Here is “pandemic” used in a sentence: “The virus was declared pandemic once it had spread to multiple continents.”

Depending on how it is used, “pandemic” can be an adjective and a noun.

The word “pandemic” comes from Greek. From Greek pandemos, "of all the people" (pan- "all" + demos "the people"), combined with the adjective-forming suffix "-ic.".

“Pandemic” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

“Pandemic” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: describing a disease that has spread across a wide geographic area, affecting a large part of the population.

A pandemic is an outbreak of disease that spreads across countries or continents and affects a large number of people, while an epidemic is typically confined to a more limited region or population. The key distinction is geographic scale: pandemics cross international or continental boundaries, whereas epidemics don't.

A pandemic describes a disease spreading widely across a large geographic area and population, while "endemic" describes a disease that is consistently present within a specific region or community at a steady, expected level. Endemic diseases don't necessarily spread rapidly or widely; they simply persist.

Yes; as a noun, "pandemic" refers to the outbreak itself, as in "the pandemic affected millions." As an adjective, it describes a disease with that wide-reaching characteristic, as in "a pandemic illness."