-pathic

1. a combining form occurring in adjectives that correspond to nouns ending in -pathy:

   psychopathic.

pathic

/ ˈpæθɪk /

noun

1. a catamite

2. a person who suffers; victim

adjective

1. of or relating to a catamite

2. of or relating to suffering

Word History and Origins

Origin of pathic¹

From New Latin; -pathy, -ic

Word History and Origins

Origin of pathic¹

C17: via Latin from Greek pathikos passive; see _pathos

Example Sentences

Lungs affected by idio­pathic pulmonary fibrosis become scarred, losing function.

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Pathic, path′ik, adj. pertaining to disease.—ns.

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He becomes Owen's secretary, engulfs himself in an almost pathic loyalty-love for his boss, and has become an English Justice by the time Glendower dies.

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The characters: a set of spectacularly pathic Nazi officers, and some no less spectacular democratic aliens.

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Most readable, least notable, is a horror study in which a piteous, pathic U. S. jazz-player meets a fetid little Cockney girl, blunders into desperate trouble through circumstantial evidence.

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When To Use

What does -pathic mean?

The combining form -pathic is used like a suffix to denote an adjective related to nouns that end in -pathy, which can mean variously "disease," "suffering," or "treatment of disease.” The form -pathic is specifically used to mean "diseased." It is often used in medical terms, especially in pathology.The form -pathic ultimately comes from Greek pátheia, meaning “suffering” or “feeling.” The form is combined with the suffix -ic, from Latin -icus, which is used to denote an adjective.What are variants of -pathic?While -path doesn’t have any immediate variants, it is closely related to three other combining forms, -path, -pathia, and -pathy. Want to know more? Check out our Words That Use entries for all three forms.