endemic

IPA/enˈdemɪk/
KK[ɛndˈɛmɪk]IPA/enˈdemɪk/

endemic — adjective

  • endemicpositive
  • more endemiccomparative
  • most endemicsuperlative

1. used for a disease, condition, or serious problem that keeps existing in one reg

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

used for a disease, condition, or serious problem that keeps existing in one region or community for a long time

Example

Malaria is endemic in the valley, so every clinic stocks test kits.

be endemic in + place

For decades, bad housing made chest infections endemic among dock workers.

endemic among + group

Common collocations
  • endemic disease
  • remain endemic
  • endemic among children
  • endemic in the region
Synonyms
  • prevalent

    broader and not always tied to one place or population

  • persistent

    stresses continuing over time more than local spread

  • entrenched

    often used when a social problem is hard to remove

Antonyms
  • sporadic

    happens only from time to time rather than staying present

  • eradicated

    removed instead of continuing in the community

Grammar Patterns

be endemic in + place

be endemic among + group

[disease/problem] + become endemic in + area

Usage Note

Most often appears after be, become, or remain and usually names a place or group with in or among. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is about something continuing in a population, not about a species being native there.

Common Mistakes

Malaria is endemic of the area.
Malaria is endemic in the area.
this sense usually takes 'in' for a place or 'among' for a group.

2. used for a plant, animal, or species that belongs naturally to one area and did

2.adjectiveC2
Definition

used for a plant, animal, or species that belongs naturally to one area and did not originate elsewhere

Example

This orchid is endemic to the island and grows nowhere else on Earth.

be endemic to + place

Several frogs endemic to Madagascar lay eggs in shallow forest pools.

species endemic to + area

Common collocations
  • endemic species
  • endemic plant
  • endemic bird
  • endemic to the island
Synonyms
  • native

    broader and does not always suggest a narrow range

  • indigenous

    more formal and common in scientific or policy writing

  • local

    weaker because something local may also exist elsewhere

Antonyms
  • introduced

    brought from another place rather than naturally belonging there

  • invasive

    spread into an area where the species is not naturally native

Grammar Patterns

be endemic to + island/region

[species] + endemic to + area

species endemic to + mountain/forest

Usage Note

Usually follows the name of the species and is strongly linked with to plus a place. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense describes natural range, not a disease that stays common in a population.

Common Mistakes

The bird is endemic in the island.
The bird is endemic to the island.
when talking about native range, English most often uses 'to'.

endemic — noun

Word family

  • endemically
    adverbC2
  • endemism
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Endemic is best when something belongs to the usual condition of one place or group over time. Prevalent is broader: an idea, habit, or illness can be prevalent without being tied to one region. Widespread stresses broad spread across many places, so it often points away from the local focus that endemic has. Epidemic is different again because it describes a sharp rise above the normal level. You can say dengue is endemic in a coastal city, but cases become epidemic after unusual flooding. For plants and animals, endemic is also stronger than native, because it often suggests a narrow home range rather than simple origin.

prevalent ↗widespread ↗epidemic ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • endemic disease
  • endemic species

Adverbs

  • highly endemic
  • locally endemic

Phrases

  • be endemic in a region
  • be endemic to an island

Prepositions

  • endemic in
  • endemic among
  • endemic to

Etymology

GreekLatinEnglish

Endemic comes from Greek endemos, meaning 'in the people' or 'within a district', built from en ('in') and demos ('people' or 'district'). Through Latin and later scientific writing, the word first described diseases regularly found in a community, then widened to plants and animals naturally limited to one area. The central idea has stayed the same: something belongs inside a particular place or population rather than appearing there only by chance.