orthopedic

American  

[awr-thuh-pee-dik] / ˌɔr θəˈpi dɪk /

Or orthopaedic

adjective

1. of or relating to orthopedics.

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Other Word Forms

• nonorthopedic adjective
• orthopedically adverb

Etymology

Origin of orthopedic

First recorded in 1830–40; ortho- + Greek paid- (stem of paîs “child”; cf. ped-) + -ic

Explanation

An orthopedic surgeon is one who operates on bones and muscles to fix them. The word orthopedic comes from the Greek orthos meaning "straight, correct" and paideia meaning "rearing of children." The term was originally used for children and the kind of treatment they received for skeletal deformities like bow legs or knock-knees. An orthopedic shoe is one that is supposed to help correct the deformed bones and support the weakened muscles of a foot.

Example Sentences

Weber, Dr. Cory Mayfield, chief resident at USC orthopedic surgery, and other researchers recently published a study in the American Journal of Sports Medicine where they reviewed the literature on popular injectable peptides.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

They are among the most common problems treated by orthopedic specialists, yet effective therapies remain limited.

From Science Daily • Feb. 12, 2026

An orthopedic surgeon who has treated her back problems and prescribed medications to help with her pain works for an independent practice, First State Orthopaedics.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 22, 2025

The results could also spark worries for companies that make the artificial joints used in orthopedic surgeries, if patients who were formerly candidates for knee replacements can find relief instead from Lilly’s injection.

From Barron's • Dec. 11, 2025

I think of orthopedic shoes, lisle stockings, underwear laundered thin and gray, coal cellars.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood