pandemic 1 of 2

Definition of pandemicnext
as in epidemic
medical an occurrence in which a disease spreads very quickly and affects a large number of people over a wide area or throughout the world The 1918 flu pandemic claimed millions of lives. the AIDS pandemic

Related Words

Relevance

pandemic

2 of 2

adjective

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pandemic
Noun
The series shows how Paul Martino spent a fortune supporting Republican candidates who supported reopening schools quickly after the height of the pandemic but then, more contentiously, turned their attention to the culture wars. — Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026 Before the pandemic, some properties even offered loyalty points or complimentary items to guests who skipped housekeeping during their stay. — Ashley Lynch, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2026
Adjective
The 2022 Freedom Convoy began over vaccine requirements for cross-border truckers but grew into a broader revolt against pandemic restrictions. — ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026 What began as a pandemic-era adjustment also offered hotels a way to reduce labor expenses. — Ashley Lynch, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pandemic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pandemic
Noun
  • AmfAR is dedicated to advancing scientific discovery and transforming global health with a primary and enduring commitment to ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
    — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Produced by Yara Goubran) When a mysterious epidemic begins infecting women in a remote fishing village, fear quickly turns the community against them.
    — Essie Assibu, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Demonstrators expressed widespread frustration and anger at the government as gasoline, energy and food prices have spiked in recent months.
    — SYLVIE CORBET, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Beyond that, there's no firm timeline for when the system might be ready for widespread deployment.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 18 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • And because diesel is especially critical as an industrial fuel used in manufacturing, farming, and transportation, its price surge has been pervasive across sectors.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The instrument was specifically devised to investigate dark energy and its pervasive influence.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Meetings that use Zoom and similar software are a fixture of remote work, which surged during the COVID-19 pandemic and remains prevalent.
    — Vanessa M. Conzon, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2026
  • That's especially prevalent in the Oversized Graphic T-Shirt with enigmatic dates on the back -- those are already causing a stir in the fan community.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • There’s a distinction between general reasoning models, like LLMs, and the specialized AI biofoundation models like protein language models and protein structure prediction.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Prior to this, Asian artists largely had to compete in the best global music performance category or the broader general pop fields.
    — Jeff Benjamin, Billboard, 13 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • In a time where hatred and division are rife, this is a festival of love.
    — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2026
  • According to Rowbottom, Jumbo’s is rife for literary inspiration.
    — Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • However, the bill would also preempt certain state requirements covering public risk disclosures, independent evaluations, and critical incident reporting.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
  • In ten countries, interest payments eclipse the entire public investment budget.
    — Masood Ahmed, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • The group noted the projection was revised upward from an earlier estimate owing to an additional year in the budget window and higher prevailing interest rates.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Likewise, prevailing concepts of Hamlet at the time cast the prince as a wan and melancholic, leading critics to bristle at Bernhardt’s energy.
    — Betsy Golden Kellem, JSTOR Daily, 18 Mar. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pandemic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pandemic. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on pandemic

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!