noun

epidemiology

ep-ih-dee-mee-OL-uh-jee

Epidemiology (noun) means the branch of medicine that studies how often diseases occur in populations, who they affect and why, and how they can be controlled. Example: “She teaches epidemiology at the school of public health.”

noun

The branch of medicine that studies how often diseases occur in populations, who they affect and why, and how they can be controlled.

"She teaches epidemiology at the school of public health."

"Modern epidemiology grew out of efforts to trace cholera outbreaks."

The pattern of occurrence of a particular disease or condition, including its distribution, causes and risk factors.

"The epidemiology of type 2 diabetes differs sharply between urban and rural areas."

How to Use Epidemiology

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe study of how diseases spread through groups of people and what causes them.

When to use it

Technical, but widely used in news coverage of outbreaks.

Memory tip

A person who works in the field is an 'epidemiologist'; the adjective is 'epidemiological'.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

etiology → pathology → virology endemic →

Common pairings

the epidemiology of clinical epidemiology genetic epidemiology epidemiology and public health

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

She teaches _____ at the school of public health.

Etymology

From Greek epidēmia ('a stay in a place, prevalence of disease'), from epi ('among') plus dēmos ('people'), plus -logia ('study of').

Origin: Greek

Synonyms

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disease ecology population health science

Rhymes for epidemiology

eulogy apology zoology biology ecology analogy geology trilogy etiology pedagogy theology ideology

See all rhymes for epidemiology →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between epidemiology and public health?

Epidemiology is a research discipline: it measures who gets ill, how often and why. Public health is the broader field that uses those findings, together with policy, education and services, to protect and improve the health of populations.

What does an epidemiologist actually do?

An epidemiologist designs and analyses studies of health in groups of people, tracking outbreaks, testing whether an exposure raises risk, and evaluating whether interventions work. Much of the job is statistics, surveillance data and study design rather than treating patients.

What is the difference between incidence and prevalence?

Incidence counts new cases arising in a population over a period of time, so it measures risk. Prevalence counts all existing cases at a given moment, so it measures burden. A long-lasting illness can have low incidence but high prevalence.