epidemic
A widespread disease that affects many humans in a population.
Other meanings
An occurrence of a disease or disorder in a human population at a frequency higher than that expected in a given time period; an episode of outbreak and subsequent high prevalence.
The spreading of an idea or belief amongst a population.
Word history
From Ancient Greek "ἐπιδήμιος".
Where this comes from
This definition is adapted from “epidemic” on Wiktionary, by its contributors, published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.