English
infodemic
Blend of information + epidemic.
A blend of information + epidemic
Latin fōrma
…
Latin īnfōrmō ‘to form, give shape to’
Latin īnfōrmātiō ‘formation, conception; education’
Anglo-Norman informacioun
Middle English enformacioun
English information
Ancient Greek ἐπιδήμιος ‘among the people’
Medieval Latin epidēmia ‘epidemic diseases’
French épidémie
French épidémique
English epidemic
The story
Coined by American writer and foreign policy strategist David Rothkopf in 2003 in the context of the 2002–2004 SARS outbreak, see quotations.
Today it means
noun An excessive amount of information concerning a problem such that the solution is made more difficult.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / infodemic