a. | 1. | (Med.) Common to, or affecting at the same time, a large number in a community; - applied to a disease which, spreading widely, attacks many persons at the same time; |
2. | Spreading widely, or generally prevailing; affecting great numbers, as an epidemic does; | |
n. | 1. | (Med.) An epidemic disease. |
2. | Anything which takes possession of the minds of people as an epidemic does of their bodies; |
Noun | 1. | epidemic - a widespread outbreak of an infectious disease; many people are infected at the same time |
Adj. | 1. | epidemic - (especially of medicine) of disease or anything resembling a disease; attacking or affecting many individuals in a community or a population simultaneously; "an epidemic outbreak of influenza" Antonyms: ecdemic - of or relating to a disease that originates outside the locality in which it occurs |