therapy

American  

[ther-uh-pee] / ˈθɛr ə pi /

noun

therapies plural

1. the treatment of disease or disorders, as by some remedial, rehabilitating, or curative process.

   speech therapy.

2. a curative power or quality.

3. psychotherapy.

4. any act, hobby, task, program, etc., that relieves tension.

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therapy British  

/ ˈθɛrəpɪ /

noun

1. 1. the treatment of physical, mental, or social disorders or disease

   2. ( in combination )

      physiotherapy

      electrotherapy

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therapy Cultural  

1. Treatment intended to cure or alleviate an illness or injury, whether physical or mental.

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Other Word Forms

• self-therapy
  noun

Etymology

Origin of therapy

1840–50; < New Latin therapīa < Greek therapeía healing (akin to therápōn attendant)

Explanation

Therapy is the act of caring for someone, or the method of caring. If you have a rare disease, your doctor's therapy will hopefully cure you. Therapy comes from the Greek θεραπεία, for "healing." If someone tells you she's "in therapy," she's probably talking about a psychological kind of healing. But if she's getting physical therapy, then she's getting help with a bone or muscle problem. If someone suggests an experimental therapy, that's a mode of treatment that's new. Sometimes if something non-medical makes you feel better, we call it a kind of therapy. You might like chocolate therapy, for example.

Example Sentences

Therapy use is up with “younger, wealthier, college-educated, urban adults with private insurance,” but not with people who are “older, less educated, uninsured, or rural.”

From Salon • May 18, 2026

Their findings were published in Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy.

From Science Daily • May 17, 2026

Therapy can obviously generate loads of feelings, but the best container allows the client to feel it all, in a safe, comfortable environment.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

Matt Lundquist, a psychotherapist with Tribeca Therapy, says you understandably feel confused and frustrated with your father, as this is not how a mature person typically acts.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 25, 2026

Dad didn't remember it was Speech Therapy Day till Mum'd mentioned she'd written a “plumpish” check to Lorenzo Hussingtree in Malvern Link.

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell

Related Words

• analysis
• cure
• healing
• medicine
• remedy