n.
Pronunciation: ˌ e-p ə - ' de-mik
Function: adjective
Etymology: French épidémique, from Middle French, from epidemie, noun, epidemic, from Late Latin epidemia, from Greek epid ē mia visit, epidemic, from epid ē mos visiting, epidemic, from epi- + d ē mos people ― more at DEMAGOGUE
Date: 1603
1 : affecting or tending to affect a disproportionately large number of individuals within a population, community, or region at the same time <typhoid was epidemic >
2 a : excessively prevalent b : CONTAGIOUS 4 < epidemic laughter>
3 : of, relating to, or constituting an epidemic <the practice had reached epidemic proportions>
– ep · i · dem · i · cal \ - ' de-mi-k ə l \ adjective
– ep · i · dem · i · cal · ly \ - ' de-mi-k( ə -)l ē \ adverb
– ep · i · de · mic · i · ty \ -d ə - ' mi-s ə -t ē \ noun