endemic

[ en-dem-ik ]

adjective

1. natural to or characteristic of a specific people or place; native; indigenous:

   The group is committed to preserving the endemic folkways of their nation.

   The recession hit especially hard in countries where high unemployment is endemic.

2. belonging exclusively or confined to a particular place:

   When traveling, he caught a fever endemic to the tropics.

3. (of a disease) persisting in a population or region, generally having settled to a relatively constant rate of occurrence:

   The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 may never disappear, but could become endemic like the flu.

noun

1. an endemic disease.

endemic

/ ɛnˈdɛmɪk /

adjective

1. present within a localized area or peculiar to persons in such an area

noun

1. an endemic disease or plant

endemic

/ ĕn-dĕm′ĭk /

1. Relating to a disease or pathogen that is found in or confined to a particular location, region, or people. Malaria, for example, is endemic to tropical regions.
2. See also epidemic
3. Native to a specific region or environment and not occurring naturally anywhere else. The giant sequoia is endemic to the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada.
4. Compare alien

Derived Forms

• enˈdemically, adverb
• ˈendemism, noun

Other Words From

• en·dem·i·cal·ly adverb
• en·de·mism [en, -d, uh, -miz-, uh, m], en·de·mic·i·ty [en-d, uh, -, mis, -i-tee], noun
• non·en·dem·ic adjective
• un·en·dem·ic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of endemic¹

First recorded in 1655–65; from New Latin endēmicus, equivalent to Greek éndēm(os) “dwelling in a place, native, (of disease) endemic” (from en- “within, in” + dêm(os) “people, district”) + Latin -icus adjective suffix; en- ², deme, -ic

Word History and Origins

Origin of endemic¹

C18: from New Latin endēmicus, from Greek endēmos native, from en- ² + dēmos the people

Usage

A disease that occurs regularly in a particular area, as malaria does in many tropical countries, is said to be endemic. The word endemic, built from the prefix en–, “in or within,” and the Greek word demos, “people,” means “within the people (of a region).” A disease that affects many more people than usual in a particular area or that spreads into regions in which it does not usually occur is said to be epidemic. This word, built from the prefix epi–, meaning “upon,” and demos, means “upon the people.” In order for a disease to become epidemic it must be highly contagious, that is, easily spread through a population. Influenza has been the cause of many epidemics throughout history. Epidemics of waterborne diseases such as cholera often occur after natural disasters such as earthquakes and severe storms that disrupt or destroy sanitation systems and supplies of fresh water.