epidemic
/ˌɛpɪˈdɛmɪk/noun
An outbreak of disease that spreads rapidly and affects large numbers of people at the same time.
Example sentences
- “Schools closed for two weeks during the flu epidemic.”
- “A cholera epidemic swept through the city after the floods.”
Extended freely beyond disease: an epidemic of car theft. A 'pandemic' is an epidemic that crosses countries or continents.