Standard Lemma guide

endemic

adj · noun · 10 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation, US: /ɛnˈdɛm.ɪk/
  • Received-Pronunciation, US, uncommon: /ɪnˈdɛm.ɪk/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɛmɪk
  • CMU ARPABET: EH0 N D EH1 M IH0 K Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Native to a particular area or culture; originating where it occurs.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • The endemic religion of Easter Island arrived with the Polynesian settlers.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Peculiar to a particular area or region; not found in other places.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: especially, not-comparable

Examples

  • Kangaroos are endemic to Australia.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Prevalent in a particular area or region, persistent within a population.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: especially, not-comparable

Examples

  • Malaria is endemic to the tropics.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

An individual or species that is endemic to a region.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A disease affecting a number of people simultaneously, so as to show a distinct connection with certain localities.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective

Meaning 6

native to or confined to a certain region

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the islands have a number of interesting endemic species

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: cosmopolitan

7

adjective

Meaning 7

of or relating to a disease (or anything resembling a disease) constantly present to greater or lesser extent in a particular locality

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • diseases endemic to the tropics
  • endemic malaria
  • food shortages and starvation are endemic in certain parts of the world

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: endemical

Antonyms: epidemic, ecdemic

8

adjective satellite

Meaning 8

originating where it is found

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the autochthonal fauna of Australia includes the kangaroo
  • autochthonous rocks and people and folktales
  • endemic folkways
  • the Ainu are indigenous to the northernmost islands of Japan

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: autochthonal, autochthonic, autochthonous, indigenous

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

a plant that is native to a certain limited area

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • it is an endemic found only this island

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: plant, flora, plant life

10

noun

Meaning 10

a disease that is constantly present to a greater or lesser degree in people of a certain class or in people living in a particular location

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: endemic disease

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: disease

History

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἐν (en, “in”) + δῆμος (dêmos, “people”) + -ic. Possibly via Ancient Greek ἔνδημος (éndēmos, “among one's people, at home, native”) and/or French endémique. By surface analysis, en- + demic.

Across languages

Translations

98 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: مُتَوَطِّن (mutawaṭṭin) — native to a particular area
  • Catalan: endèmic — native to a particular area
  • Chinese Mandarin: 地方特有的 — native to a particular area
  • Danish: endemisk — native to a particular area
  • Dutch: inheems — native to a particular area
  • Dutch: endemisch — native to a particular area
  • Finnish: kotoperäinen — native to a particular area
  • Finnish: endeeminen — native to a particular area
  • French: indigène — native to a particular area
  • French: endémique — native to a particular area
  • Galician: endémico — native to a particular area
  • Georgian: ენდემური (endemuri) — native to a particular area
  • German: endemisch — native to a particular area
  • Greek: ενδημικός (endimikós) — native to a particular area
  • Hungarian: honos — native to a particular area
  • Hungarian: őshonos — native to a particular area
  • Italian: endemico — native to a particular area
  • Kashubian: endemiczny — native to a particular area
  • Maltese: endemiċi — native to a particular area
  • Māori: taketake — native to a particular area
  • Norwegian Bokmål: endemisk — native to a particular area
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: endemisk — native to a particular area
  • Polish: endemiczny — native to a particular area
  • Brazilian Portuguese: endêmico — native to a particular area
  • European Portuguese: endémico — native to a particular area
  • Romanian: endemic — native to a particular area
  • Russian: эндеми́ческий (endemíčeskij) — native to a particular area
  • Spanish: endémico — native to a particular area
  • Arabic: مُتَوَطِّن (mutawaṭṭin) — peculiar to a particular area
  • Catalan: endèmic — peculiar to a particular area
  • Chinese Mandarin: 地方性流行 — peculiar to a particular area
  • Chinese Mandarin: 地方特有的 — peculiar to a particular area
  • Dutch: endemisch — peculiar to a particular area
  • Finnish: endeeminen — peculiar to a particular area
  • French: endémique — peculiar to a particular area
  • Georgian: ენდემური (endemuri) — peculiar to a particular area
  • German: endemisch — peculiar to a particular area
  • Greek: ενδημικός (endimikós) — peculiar to a particular area
  • Hungarian: bennszülött — peculiar to a particular area
  • Hungarian: helyi — peculiar to a particular area
  • Hungarian: endemikus — peculiar to a particular area
  • Italian: endemico — peculiar to a particular area
  • Māori: taketake — peculiar to a particular area
  • Polish: endemiczny — peculiar to a particular area
  • Brazilian Portuguese: endêmico — peculiar to a particular area
  • European Portuguese: endémico — peculiar to a particular area
  • Romanian: endemic — peculiar to a particular area
  • Spanish: endémico — peculiar to a particular area
  • Catalan: endèmic — prevalent in a particular area
  • Chinese Mandarin: 地方特有的 — prevalent in a particular area
  • Czech: endemický — prevalent in a particular area
  • Dutch: endemisch — prevalent in a particular area
  • Finnish: kotoperäinen — prevalent in a particular area
  • Finnish: endeeminen — prevalent in a particular area
  • French: endémique — prevalent in a particular area
  • German: endemisch — prevalent in a particular area
  • Greek: ενδημικός (endimikós) — prevalent in a particular area
  • Italian: endemico — prevalent in a particular area
  • Norwegian Bokmål: endemisk — prevalent in a particular area
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: endemisk — prevalent in a particular area
  • Polish: endemiczny — prevalent in a particular area
  • Brazilian Portuguese: endêmico — prevalent in a particular area
  • European Portuguese: endémico — prevalent in a particular area
  • Romanian: endemic — prevalent in a particular area
  • Spanish: endémico — prevalent in a particular area
  • Swedish: endemisk — prevalent in a particular area
  • Turkish: endemik — prevalent in a particular area
  • Chinese Mandarin: 地方特有种 (dìfāngtèyǒuzhǒng) — individual or species that is endemic
  • Dutch: inheemse soort — individual or species that is endemic
  • Dutch: inboorling — individual or species that is endemic
  • Finnish: kotoperäinen laji — individual or species that is endemic
  • German: Endemit — individual or species that is endemic
  • Hungarian: bennszülött — individual or species that is endemic
  • Kazakh: індет (ındet) — individual or species that is endemic
  • Polish: endemit — individual or species that is endemic
  • Romanian: endemit — individual or species that is endemic
  • Russian: энде́мик (endémik) — individual or species that is endemic
  • Slovak: endemit — individual or species that is endemic
  • Spanish: endémismo — individual or species that is endemic
  • Ukrainian: енде́мік (endémik) — individual or species that is endemic
  • Armenian: տեղաճարակ (teġačarak) — disease affecting a number of people simultaneously, so as to show a distinct connection with certain localities
  • Catalan: endèmia — disease affecting a number of people simultaneously, so as to show a distinct connection with certain localities
  • Chinese Mandarin: 地方病 (dìfāngbìng) — disease affecting a number of people simultaneously, so as to show a distinct connection with certain localities
  • Chinese Mandarin: 风土病 (fēngtǔbìng) — disease affecting a number of people simultaneously, so as to show a distinct connection with certain localities
  • Czech: endemie — disease affecting a number of people simultaneously, so as to show a distinct connection with certain localities
  • Finnish: endemia — disease affecting a number of people simultaneously, so as to show a distinct connection with certain localities
  • French: endémie — disease affecting a number of people simultaneously, so as to show a distinct connection with certain localities
  • Galician: endemia — disease affecting a number of people simultaneously, so as to show a distinct connection with certain localities
  • German: Endemie — disease affecting a number of people simultaneously, so as to show a distinct connection with certain localities
  • Hungarian: endémiás járvány/betegség — disease affecting a number of people simultaneously, so as to show a distinct connection with certain localities
  • Hungarian: endémia — disease affecting a number of people simultaneously, so as to show a distinct connection with certain localities
  • Italian: endemia — disease affecting a number of people simultaneously, so as to show a distinct connection with certain localities
  • Japanese: 風土病 (fudobyō) — disease affecting a number of people simultaneously, so as to show a distinct connection with certain localities
  • Portuguese: endemia — disease affecting a number of people simultaneously, so as to show a distinct connection with certain localities
  • Romanian: endemie — disease affecting a number of people simultaneously, so as to show a distinct connection with certain localities
  • Spanish: endemia — disease affecting a number of people simultaneously, so as to show a distinct connection with certain localities
  • Swedish: endemi — disease affecting a number of people simultaneously, so as to show a distinct connection with certain localities
  • Tok Pisin: sik bilong ples — disease affecting a number of people simultaneously, so as to show a distinct connection with certain localities
Real reading context

endemic in complete knowledge articles