Word
pathology
Phoneticspathol·o·gy
US/pəˈθɑɫədʒi/
UK/pæθˈɒlədʒi/
Definitions
01medical study
n. the branch of medicine that studies the causes and effects of diseases.
n. the scientific study of the nature, causes, and development of disease through the examination of organs, tissues, and bodily fluids.
“She decided to specialize in pathology to help doctors identify rare illnesses.”
“Advances in molecular pathology have allowed clinicians to identify genetic markers that predict how a patient will respond to specific chemotherapy treatments.”
Academic · Technical
Usage
Often used as an uncountable noun when referring to the field of study.
Synonyms
02signs of disease
n. the physical or mental changes caused by a specific disease.
n. the anatomical or functional manifestations of a disease; a specific abnormality or deviation from a healthy state.
“The doctor examined the scan to see the pathology of the tumor.”
“The autopsy revealed a complex pathology in the lungs that had been masked by the patient's secondary infections.”
Technical
Usage
Can be used as a countable noun when referring to specific instances of abnormality.
Synonyms
03social or mental problem
n. a pattern of behavior or a social condition that is considered unhealthy or broken.
n. a social or psychological condition viewed as a functional disorder or a departure from normal health.
“The book explores the social pathology that leads to high crime rates in cities.”
“The essay argues that the widespread corruption was not an isolated incident but a symptom of a deeper political pathology within the administration.”
Academic · Literary
Teaching tip
In this sense, the word is often used metaphorically to describe problems in society or government as if they were biological diseases.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“A hysteroscopy’s “inside view” of the womb makes them the gold standard for ruling out any sinister pathology such as endometrial cancer.” “These findings were combined into a single score used to assess the amount of Alzheimer's related pathology in the brain.” Etymology
From French pathologie, from Ancient Greek πάθος (páthos, “disease”) and -λογία (-logía, “study of”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.