a happening that is distinctive in a series of related events
"The sudden power outage was just one episode in a week filled with mechanical failures at the factory."
a brief section of a literary or dramatic work that forms part of a connected series
"After watching the first episode, I was hooked on the rest of the mystery series."
a part of a broadcast serial
"After watching three episodes last night, I'm ready to binge through the rest of the series today."
An incident, action, or time period standing out by itself, but more or less connected with a complete series of events.
"The sudden power outage was just an isolated episode in an otherwise smooth week at the office."
In plain English: An episode is a single event or occurrence that happens as part of a larger series.
"The car broke down during the most frustrating episode of my entire trip."
Usage: Use episode to describe a single event that occurs within a larger sequence or series of related incidents. It often refers to a distinct occurrence in history, a show on television, or an individual instance of a recurring condition like a seizure.
The word episode entered English from French and New Latin, originally derived from Ancient Greek to mean a parenthetic addition or an event that happens alongside the main action. It is built from roots meaning "on," "into," and "way," reflecting its sense of something coming in besides the primary narrative.