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idiopathy

American

[id-ee-op-uh-thee] / ˌɪd iˈɒp ə θi /

noun

plural

idiopathies

a disease not preceded or occasioned by any known morbid condition.

idiopathy British

/ ˌɪdɪəʊˈpæθɪk, ˌɪdɪˈɒpəθɪ /

noun

any disease of unknown cause

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

idiopathic adjective

Etymology

Origin of idiopathy

1630–40; < New Latin idiopathīa < Greek idiopátheia disease or affection of local origin. See idio-, -pathy

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.

Two brilliant books by young writers that I've looked at and am looking forward to reading properly are Money by Felix Martin and Idiopathy by Sam Byers.

From The Guardian

What follows is a howling dig at cultural myopia and a more serious examination of its source, classified by Byers as an idiopathy, the definition of which is: "A disease or condition that arises spontaneously or for which the cause is unknown."

From The Guardian

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023