Which term refers to an outbreak that is limited to one geographic area?

The term that refers to an outbreak limited to one geographic area is "endemic." Endemic describes a situation where a particular disease or condition is consistently present in a specific location or population. For instance, certain diseases, like malaria in parts of Africa or chickenpox in various communities, are endemic because they regularly occur within those specific regions irrespective of occasional isolated outbreaks.

In contrast, a pandemic refers to a global outbreak that spreads across countries and continents, affecting a large number of people. An epidemic, on the other hand, is typically characterized by a sudden increase in the number of cases of a disease above what is normally expected in a specific geographic area. Lastly, the term "outbreak" is used more generally to describe a sudden rise in cases of a disease in a specific area but does not necessarily imply regularity or persistence as "endemic" does. Therefore, "endemic" accurately captures the concept of a disease that consistently exists within a particular geographic location.