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

“The style of play now, with the significant forces these guys generate on their bodies,” said Dr. Neal ElAttrache, an orthopedic surgeon whose patients include dozens of high-profile professional athletes.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

Partial meniscectomy is one of the most common orthopedic surgeries worldwide.

From Science Daily • May 6, 2026

When he got back to Maryland, Lesch’s father sent him to see an orthopedic surgeon, who found the problem wasn’t in his back or elbow but rather the rotator cuff.

From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026

This aesthetic tech neck isn’t to be confused with the orthopedic condition, in which hours of looking down leave people with joint pain in the cervical spine.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

With a sharp sense of style, they stripped Joel Moskowitz’s shoe store of its higher- priced and more fashionable models, leaving only some orthopedic offerings and a few Florsheims.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides