pathogenesis
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of pathogenesis
From New Latin, dating back to 1875–80; see origin at patho-, -genesis
Explanation
The medical term pathogenesis means the source of a disease. Your doctor might guess that the pathogenesis of your ear infection was a bad cold that caused congestion and swelling. If you ask your doctor, "How did I get chickenpox?" you're asking about the pathogenesis of an illness that gave you an itchy rash and a high fever. The word stems from the Greek pathos, "suffering or disease," and genesis, "origin." In medical terms, pathogenesis lays out the biological progression of a disease from its origin to the symptoms it caused that sent you to your doctor's office.
Vocabulary lists containing pathogenesis
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.
"It was actually a really unexpected finding that suggests a totally new mechanism for Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis," said Huang.
From Science Daily • Jun. 12, 2026
"We created a model of hibernation, which is so critical to understanding of the pathogenesis of the infection."
From Salon • Jul. 30, 2024
Among the various factors contributing to the pathogenesis of this condition is the loss of the blood-brain barrier, a highly selective protective cellular barrier that prevents harmful chemicals from entering the brain through the blood.
From Science Daily • May 15, 2024
The findings will pave the way for a more detailed understanding of the epigenetic dysregulation mechanisms in AT/RT pathogenesis and enable researchers to identify which genes contribute to the malignant progression of the tumour.
From Science Daily • Apr. 15, 2024
L�ffler, too, in the diphtheria of calves, found that the germ was longer and more delicate than that of man, and that its pathogenesis for rodents was less, guinea pigs having only a nonfatal abscess.
From Special Report on Diseases of Cattle by United States. Bureau of Animal Industry
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
