Meaning
As a noun, epidemic refers to the rapid spread of a disease among many people within a community, region, or population at the same time. As an adjective, it describes something (usually a disease, but also a social problem) that spreads quickly and widely.
Grammar and Usage
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Part of speech:
- Noun: an epidemic of flu
- Adjective: an epidemic outbreak
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Common sentence structures:
- "an epidemic of + noun" → an epidemic of measles, an epidemic of fear
- "epidemic spread" → rapid increase of disease or phenomenon
Common Phrases
- flu epidemic – rapid spread of influenza
- epidemic outbreak – the start of a disease spreading quickly
- an epidemic of fear/panic/violence – figurative usage
- epidemic proportions – reaching a very large scale
Collocations
- control an epidemic
- epidemic disease
- epidemic outbreak
- spread of an epidemic
- epidemic wave
Examples
- The city faced an epidemic of measles last winter.
- Health authorities are working hard to control the epidemic.
- The flu epidemic spread rapidly through schools.
- Panic spread like an epidemic after the earthquake.
- The government declared an emergency due to the epidemic outbreak.
- The violence in the area has reached epidemic proportions.
- Vaccination is key to preventing epidemics.
Synonyms or Related
- Outbreak
- Pandemic (wider/global scale)
- Plague
- Surge
- Spread
- Contagion