homeopathy

American  

[hoh-mee-op-uh-thee] / ˌhoʊ miˈɒp ə θi /

noun

1. the method of treating disease by drugs, given in minute doses, that would produce in a healthy person symptoms similar to those of the disease (opposed to allopathy).

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homeopathy British  

/ ˌhəʊmɪəˈpæθɪk, ˌhəʊmɪˈɒpəθɪst, ˌhəʊmɪˈɒpəθɪ, ˈhəʊmɪəˌpæθ /

noun

1. a method of treating disease by the use of small amounts of a drug that, in healthy persons, produces symptoms similar to those of the disease being treated Compare allopathy

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homeopathy Scientific  

/ hō′mē-ŏp′ə-thē /

1. A nontraditional system for treating and preventing disease, in which minute amounts of a substance that in large amounts causes disease symptoms are given to healthy individuals. This is thought to enhance the body's natural defenses.

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homeopathy Cultural  

1. A system of treating disease in which small doses of certain substances are administered; in large doses, given to a healthy person, these substances would produce the symptoms of the disease. The principles of homeopathy do not enjoy widespread acceptance in the medical community.

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Other Word Forms

• homeopathist
  noun
• homeopathic
  adjective
• homeopathically
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of homeopathy

First recorded in 1820–30; homeo- + -pathy

Compare meaning

How does homeopathy compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• homeopathy vs. allopathy

Example Sentences

On X, where more than 300,000 people follow him as the "Liver Doc", he has called homeopathy "false medicine", labelled alternative practitioners quacks and told critics their brains were "for rent".

From BBC • Jun. 28, 2026

As a young mother, she rejected traditional medicine in favor of homeopathy, then thought to be a form of quackery.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

A well-established tradition of homeopathy and natural cures has meant that a certain distrust of science and medicine has long been widely accepted in Germany’s middle class.

From New York Times • Jan. 24, 2022

Everyone should respect his decision to try homeopathy over a coronavirus vaccine.

From Washington Post • Nov. 4, 2021

Don Apolinar Moscote made fun of his faith in homeopathy, but those who were in on the plot recognized another one of their people in him.

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez