Revised as of
4 July 2023
While endemic vs epidemic vs pandemic affects people, there are differences amongst them.
An endemic can be a disease OR a plant or animal. Whichever it is, it’s local and common to that area.
An epidemic is also local — within a community, population, or region, but definitely refers to a disease affecting a large number of people. In that area.
A pandemic is a global epidemic that encompasses the world.
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.
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| Endemic | Epidemic | Pandemic |
|---|---|---|
Koala Climbing Tree, Great Otway National Park, Australia, by David Iliff is under the CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. — Koalas are endemic to Australia. |
Emergency Hospital During Influenza Epidemic, Camp Funston, Kansas, circa 1918, is courtesy of the Otis Historical Archives, National Museum of Health and Medicine and is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. |
2009 World Subdivisions Flu Pandemic is João P.M. Lima‘s own work and is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. |
| Part of Grammar: | ||
| Adjective; Noun
Plural for the noun: endemics |
Adjective; Noun
Plural for the noun: epidemics |
Adjective; Noun
Plural for the noun: pandemics |
| Adjective: [Of a disease or condition] An infection that is constantly maintained at a baseline level in a geographic area without external inputs
[Of a plant or animal] Native or restricted to a certain country or area Common in or inherent to an enterprise or situation Noun: A disease that is prevalent in a particular locality, region, or population |
Adjective: [Of a disease] Affecting many persons at the same time, and spreading from person to person in a locality where the disease is not permanently prevalent
Noun:
|
Adjective: [Of a disease] Prevalent over a whole country or the world Noun: |
| Examples: | ||
| Adjective: Complacency is endemic in industry today. Malaria is endemic in areas that are hot and moist. Sounds like Russia where a condition of rampant, endemic political corruption is known as a “kleptocracy” — literally, rule by thieves. Chickenpox is endemic in the UK, but malaria is not. It’s a fever endemic to the tropics. There is a marsupial endemic to northeastern Australia. Divorce is endemic in our country. “All the difficulties endemic to historical research become more acute in the case of war.” – Constantine Pleshakov Noun: Most species of Metagentiana are herbaceous local endemics growing in alpine scrub, meadows, and coniferous forests. The plant communities of southern Appalachian wetlands include endemics that exist in the unique microhabitats of the region. Thus, low temperatures have led to selection for a high proportion of local endemics and species endemic to mountain peaks. |
Adjective: Shoplifting has reached epidemic proportions. HIV has reached epidemic proportions in India. Although Type 2 diabetes mellitus appears in almost epidemic proportions, our knowledge of the mechanism of this disease is limited. Noun: It was around this time that the heroin epidemic in Dublin was really bad and a number of people had died. As a result the country’s cholera epidemic continues, with more than 140,000 cases since August 2000. We’re experiencing an epidemic of violent crime. There has been an epidemic of riots. |
Adjective: Most topical is the risk of pandemic influenza, which seems to be the highest in three decades. Mr Abbott today announced that the government would speed up funding for research into pandemic influenza. It is a remarkable achievement which increases Britain’s ability to cope with pandemic flu, should it happen. Noun: The European settling of the Americas brought disease pandemics to the Native Americans that nearly eliminated them. In the case of the avian flu pandemic threat, millions of lives are potentially at stake. Let’s hope that this virus does not mutate and create a worldwide pandemic this fall. |
| Derivatives: | ||
| Adjective: endemical, nonendemic, unendemic Adverb: endemically Noun: endemicity, endemism |
Adjective: epidemical, interepidemic, preepidemic Adverb: epidemically Noun: epidemicity, preepidemic |
Adjective: interpandemic Noun: pandemia, pandemicity |
| History of the Word: | ||
| Mid-17th century, as a noun, from the French endémique or the modern Latin endemicus, from the Greek endēmios meaning native (based on dēmos meaning people). | Early 17th century, as an adjective, from the French épidémique, from épidémie, via the late Latin from the Greek epidēmia meaning prevalence of disease, from epidēmios meaning prevalent, which is from epi (upon) + dēmos (the people). | Mid-17th century from the Greek pandēmos, from pan (all) + dēmos (people) + -ic. |
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
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Resources for Endemic vs Epidemic vs Pandemic
Apple Dictionary.com
Dictionary.com: endemic, epidemic
YourDictionary.com: endemic, epidemic
Pinterest Photo Credits:
World Map with Equator by Cburnett is under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons.
