homeopathy

American

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

noun

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).

homeopathy British

/ ˌhəʊmɪəˈpæθɪk, ˌhəʊmɪˈɒpəθɪst, ˌhəʊmɪˈɒpəθɪ, ˈhəʊmɪəˌpæθ /

noun

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

"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

homeopathy Scientific

/ hō′mē-ŏp′ə-thē /

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.

homeopathy Cultural

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.

Other Word Forms

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

Vocabulary lists containing homeopathy

Common Senses: Path ("Feeling")

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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.

See Examples For:

homeopathy

Her “embrace of homeopathy fitted with her other burgeoning reform enthusiasms,” Ms. DuBois observes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 27, 2026

But he was scrutinised for recommending homeopathy, alternative medicine and other treatments that critics have called "pseudoscience".

From BBC ● Apr. 4, 2025

The NFL said over 90% of its players are double-vaccinated but NFL star Aaron Rodgers, controversially endorsed homeopathy as an alternative form of immunisation against Covid-19.

From BBC ● Jan. 11, 2022

Experts have linked a sharp increase in infections there to frequent exchanges with Austria, but also to a cultural inclination among the population toward homeopathy and natural cures.

From New York Times ● Nov. 17, 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

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