therapeutic
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
-
of or relating to the treatment of disease; curative
-
serving or performed to maintain health
therapeutic abortion
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of therapeutic
1535–45; < New Latin therapeuticus < Greek therapeutikós, equivalent to therapeú ( ein ) to attend, treat medically (akin to therápōn attendant) + -tikos -tic
Explanation
Whether you’re talking about a therapeutic drug or a therapeutic exercise plan, something that is therapeutic helps to heal or to restore health. The adjective therapeutic can be traced all the way back to the Greek word therapeutikos (from therapeuein, meaning “to attend” or “to treat”). Although the word relates to healing or soothing, therapeutic isn’t reserved only for drugs or medical treatments. You’ve probably heard particular activities referred to as therapeutic, which just means that doing that activity makes you feel rejuvenated. You might consider shopping for shoes, for example, to be a therapeutic activity — at least until the credit card bill arrives.
Vocabulary lists containing therapeutic
This Week in Words: March 3 – 9, 2018
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Vocabulary from Academy Award Nominees and Winners
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Despite having a bachelor's degree in education with additional learning needs and inclusion and a master's degree in developmental and therapeutic play, Sophie has spent the past year fielding rejection emails.
From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026
The White House said Trump’s numbers are consistent with expected therapeutic outcomes and established cardiovascular prevention goals.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026
Rancho San Antonio is a “multi-service non-profit organization that provides both traditional and non-traditional trauma-informed therapeutic services to youth and families,” according to its website.
From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026
Scientists believe emerging technologies such as single-cell omics, lineage tracing, and spatial profiling may help reveal the distinct subtypes of senescent cells and identify safer therapeutic targets.
From Science Daily • May 22, 2026
Here the leaders of the great religions have sought the therapeutic and spiritual values of retreat, not to es-cape but to find reality.
From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
