Syndemic
adj, noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 An aggregation of two or more diseases that interact synergistically within a population.
"In sum malnutrition, infectious disease, and cognitive impairment constitute a syndemic that is rooted in and perpetuates suboptimal social, political, and economic conditions."
- 1 Describing such a situation not-comparable
"The syndemic nature of the threat we face means that a more nuanced approach is needed if we are to protect the health of our communities."
Example
More examples"In sum malnutrition, infectious disease, and cognitive impairment constitute a syndemic that is rooted in and perpetuates suboptimal social, political, and economic conditions."
Etymology
Coined by Merrill Singer in the mid-1990s. Blend of synergy + demic (“of a population”). Compare epidemic (literally “upon the people”).
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.