epidemically Definition

epidemic
noun

1. A sudden outbreak of infectious disease which spreads rapidly and affects a large number of people, animals or plants in a particular area for a limited period of time.
2. A sudden and extensive spread of anything undesirable.

Thesaurus: plague, rash, spread, wave, outbreak, upsurge, growth.

adj

1. Referring to or like an epidemic, sometimes also used to describe a non-infectious condition such as malnutrition. See also endemic.

Derivative: epidemically
adverb

Etymology: 17c: ultimately from Greek epi among + demos the people.