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DictionaryRoot: dēmos
Greek

dēmos

people or a district

Forms

  • dēmos
  • dem- — Used before some endings.
  • demo- — Used when joining to another element.

Origin

An old Greek word whose deeper formation is debated.

Note

A local district and its inhabitants could be understood through the same word.

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noun / adjective

pandemic

pan-DEM-ik/pænˈdemɪk/

A disease outbreak spreading across countries or continents.

The map shows a pandemic spreading across countries on several continents.

A simple world map with matching disease-outbreak symbols appearing in multiple widely separated countries across several continents, making international spread unmistakable without adding people.
Etymology
panGreekall or every
+demGreekpeople or a district
+icEnglishconnected with or characteristic of

The pieces express “pertaining to all people.” Applied to disease, this became an adjective for widespread occurrence, then a noun for an outbreak extending beyond the smaller area an epidemic may affect.

In context

The Scottish Parliament10:35
this country, like much of the world right now, is in the grip of a global pandemic.
First Minister's Questions - 27 May 2021

More examples

  • Countries share health data to prepare for future pandemics.
  • Researchers track pandemic influenza as it spreads between countries.
  • The pandemic disrupted travel on every continent.

Forms

pandemic · pandemics

Similar words

epidemic
May affect one community or region rather than multiple countries.
outbreak
Names a sudden increase in cases, often within one area.