syndemic

English

Etymology

Coined by Merrill Singer in the mid-1990s. See syn- and compare epidemic.

Noun

syndemic (plural syndemics)

  1. An aggregation of two or more diseases that interact synergistically within a population.
    • 2009, Elaine Marie Bennett, Understanding Childhood Malnutrition in a Maya Village in Guatemala (page 11)
      In sum malnutrition, infectious disease, and cognitive impairment constitute a syndemic that is rooted in and perpetuates suboptimal social, political, and economic conditions.

Adjective

syndemic (not comparable)

  1. Describing such a situation
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