Today’s word came from The Washington Post.

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Today’s Word

Part of Speech

adjective

Definition

1. a. Belonging or native to a particular people or country
   b. Characteristic of or prevalent in a particular field, area, or environment
2. Restricted or peculiar to a locality or region

History

Translated literally, endemic means “in the population.” It derives from the Greek endēmos, which joins en, meaning “in,” and dēmos, meaning “population.” Endemic is often used to characterize diseases that are generally found in a particular area; malaria, for example, is said to be endemic to tropical and subtropical regions. This use differs from that of the related word epidemic in that it indicates a more or less constant presence in a particular population or area rather than a sudden, severe outbreak within that region or group. The word is also used by biologists to characterize the plant and animal species that are only found in a given area.

Synonyms

aboriginal, autochthonous, born, domestic, indigenous, native

Antonyms

nonindigenous, nonnative

Usage and Examples

Here are some examples:

1. In highly endemic areas, at most 20 to 30 percent of deer ticks are infected with Lyme disease.
2. This can be seen with the steeply rising numbers of urban foxes, many of which now suffer from endemic mange.
3. Rocky Mountain spotted fever is endemic in North, Central, and South America.