How to say "epidemic" in Japanese

• 疫病えきびょうCommon
  nounCovers 'epidemic' in the sense of a serious, sweeping outbreak of disease, close to 'plague' or 'pestilence'. Use it for grave historical or large-scale epidemics rather than ordinary illnesses.
  その疫病やくびょうが流行りゅうこうして何千なんぜん人にんもの人々ひとびとが死しんだ。↗

  Thousands of people died during the plague.
• 伝染病でんせんびょうCommon
  nounBest when 'epidemic' refers to the disease itself that spreads from person to person. It is really 'contagious disease' or 'infectious disease', so it names the illness rather than the outbreak.
  伝染病でんせんびょうが発生はっせいした。↗

  An epidemic disease broke out.
• 流行りゅうこうJLPT N3approx.Common
  noun, suru verb, intransitive verbCovers 'epidemic' as the prevalence or spread of a disease, focusing on the fact that it is widespread rather than on the illness itself.

For 'epidemic' as a specific infectious outbreak, use 伝染病 for the disease itself or 疫病 for a grave epidemic; 流行 expresses the spreading or prevalence of a disease.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 疫病えきびょうepidemic
• 伝染病でんせんびょうcontagious disease
• 流行り病はやりやまいepidemic
• 悪疫あくえきepidemic
• エピデミックepidemic
• 疫癘えきれいepidemic
• 病気の流行びょうきのりゅうこうepidemic
• 流行病りゅうこうびょうepidemic
• 流行性りゅうこうせいepidemic
• 流行りゅうこうprevalence (of a disease)