etiology

American  

[ee-tee-ol-uh-jee] / ˌi tiˈɒl ə dʒi /

Or aetiology

noun

etiologies plural

1. Pathology.

   1. the study of the causes of diseases.

   2. the cause or origin of a disease.

2. the study of causation.

3. any study of causes, causation, or causality, as in philosophy, biology, or physics.

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etiology British  

/ ˌiːtɪəˈlɒdʒɪkəl, ˌiːtɪˈɒlədʒɪ /

noun

1. a variant spelling of aetiology

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etiology Scientific  

/ ē′tē-ŏl′ə-jē /

1. The cause or origin of a disease, condition, or constellation of symptoms or signs, as determined by medical diagnosis or research.

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Usage

What does etiology mean? The etiology of a disease is its cause or origin. Etiology is also the name for the study of the causes of diseases. It can also refer to the study of the cause of things in other fields, such as philosophy and physics. But it is most commonly used in the context of medicine. In British English, it is spelled aetiology. Example: The doctors have taken some samples and are working to determine the etiology of the disease.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• etiological
  adjective
• etiologically
  adverb
• etiologist
  noun

Inflected Forms

noun

• etiologies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of etiology

First recorded in 1545–55; from Latin aetiologia, from Greek aitiología “determining the cause of something,” from aití(a) “cause” + -o- -o- + -logia -logy

Explanation

If you figure out the etiology of your friend's incessant hiccups, she'll be incredibly grateful, because etiology means "the cause of a disease or condition." The noun etiology is usually used by doctors and researchers who study disease and other medical topics. It means "origin" when you use it to describe illness or medical disorders, and it also refers to the study of the way things are caused. This second definition of etiology includes the study of disease, but you can use it to talk about the origins of anything at all.

Example Sentences

Etiology of Shortage: There are 180,496 doctors listed by the A.M.A. as licensed to practice, but only about 155,000 are active.

From Time Magazine Archive

When his book, The Etiology, the Concept, and the Prophylaxis of Childbed Fever, met with derision, his mind snapped.

From Time Magazine Archive

Etiology and Occurrence.—Contusions and lacerations of the forearm are of frequent occurrence in horses and are troublesome cases to handle; particularly is this noticeable where extensive laceration of the parts occurs.

From Lameness of the Horse Veterinary Practitioners' Series, No. 1 by Lacroix, John Victor

Etiology and Occurrence.—Fractures of the ulna in the horse are not common in spite of the exposed position of the olecranon.

From Lameness of the Horse Veterinary Practitioners' Series, No. 1 by Lacroix, John Victor

Etiology and Occurrence.—Following strains from work in the harness or under the saddle, horses develop an acute synovitis of the hock joint, which often results in chronic synovial distension.

From Lameness of the Horse Veterinary Practitioners' Series, No. 1 by Lacroix, John Victor