infodemic en · NOUN · etymology 1
Etymology
Blend of information + epidemic. Coined by American writer and foreign policy strategist David Rothkopf in 2003 in the context of the 2002–2004 SARS outbreak, see quotations.
Meanings
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(informal) An excessive amount of information concerning a problem such that the solution is made more difficult.
[…
2003 May 11, David J. Rothkopf, “When the Buzz Bites Back”, in Washington Post, archived from the original on 15 Apr 2020:
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(informal) A wide and rapid spread of misinformation.
But his inclination to prioritise free speech over moderation would soon become a flashpoint with a White House trying to battle a so-called “infodemic” of online conspiracies about the disease and the vaccine.
2025 June 21, Hannah Murphy, “The truth about Mark Zuckerberg’s masculinist makeover”, in FT Weekend (Life & Arts section), London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 19:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| infodemics | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Translations (6)
it infodemia (excessive amount of information concerning a problem) · ca infodèmia (excessive amount of information concerning a problem) · es infodemia (excessive amount of information concerning a problem) · ru инфодеми́я (excessive amount of information concerning a problem) · sv infodemi (excessive amount of information concerning a problem) · ar وباء معلوماتي (excessive amount of information concerning a problem)