The word pandemic comes from the Greek prefix  παν– (pan-) meaning ‘all, every’ + the word δῆμος (dêmos) meaning “the common people; free citizens, sovereign people.

So the adjective pandemic means: (of a disease) prevalent over a whole country or the world.

The word epidemic comes from the Greek prefix ἐπί (epí, “upon”) + δῆμος (dêmos, “people”). 

So the word epidemic means: a widespread occurrence of an infectious disease in a community.

You can also read:Where does the word biology come from?

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