Pandemic
/pænˈdɛm.ɪk/noun
A disease that spreads over a whole country or the world, affecting many people.
Did you know?Pandemic comes from Greek medical language, where it was formed from pan- (“all”) + dēmos (“people”), and the same dēmos root also gave us democracy and demagogue.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
pandēmos
“of or belonging to all the people; public, common”
Late Greek
Greek
pandēmia
“a disease affecting the whole people or public”
17th Century
English
pandemic
“affecting all the people; widespread”
19th Century
English
pandemic
“a disease prevalent over a whole country or the world”
Modern English
English
pandemic
“a widespread disease outbreak affecting many people across large regions”