English Reference

Word

cardiology

Phoneticscar·di·ol·o·gy

US/ˌkɑɹdiˈɑɫədʒi/

UK/kˌɑːdɪˈəʊlədʒi/

Definition

n. the branch of medicine that deals with the heart and its diseases. Doctors in this field study how the heart works and how to fix problems with blood flow.

n. the medical specialty concerned with the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disorders of the heart and blood vessels.

Examples

“He decided to specialize in cardiology after medical school.”

“Advances in cardiology have significantly improved the survival rates for patients suffering from chronic heart failure.”

“The hospital's cardiology department is renowned for its pioneering research into minimally invasive valve replacement procedures and pediatric heart surgery.”

Examples

simple

“He decided to specialize in cardiology after medical school.”

contextual

“Advances in cardiology have significantly improved the survival rates for patients suffering from chronic heart failure.”

complex

“The hospital's cardiology department is renowned for its pioneering research into minimally invasive valve replacement procedures and pediatric heart surgery.”

Usage

Typically functions as an uncountable field of study; specific departments or clinics are referred to as 'the cardiology department'.

Pitfall

He is a cardiology.

He is a cardiologist.

Learners often confuse the field of study (cardiology) with the person who practices it (cardiologist).

Real-World Examples

Common in science writing

“The landmark agreement was announced in Munich on the opening day of the annual congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), the world’s largest heart conference.”
The Guardian · 28 Aug 2026
“The findings were presented in Munich at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) annual congress, the world’s largest heart conference.”
The Guardian · 28 Aug 2026
“Mamas Mamas, a professor of cardiology at Keele University, said more research was needed to better understand the reasons behind the increased cancer risk in people with heart disease.”
The Guardian · 21 Aug 2026

Etymology

From cardio- + -logy.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Domain

Medicine

This entry

Level
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/cardiology

English Reference