pathological
Americanadjective
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of or relating to pathology, or the science or study of diseases and their causes.
Research into the pathological origins of alcoholism is ongoing.
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caused by, indicative of, or involving disease.
Her white blood cell count had fallen to a pathological level.
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caused by or evidencing a mentally disturbed condition.
He is a pathological hoarder.
They show a pathological lack of concern for the suffering of others.
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dealing with diseases.
The neurologist kept a pathological casebook from her practice as a source of examples for lectures.
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Mathematics. designating a phenomenon or object, such as a function, that is logically and correctly defined but has counterintuitive or paradoxical properties.
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Computers. relating to or producing a failed outcome or one that is contrary to what was intended or expected.
This is just an example of what happens when the algorithm encounters pathological data.
A pathological input shouldn't break the algorithm.
adjective
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of or relating to pathology
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relating to, involving, or caused by disease
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informal compulsively motivated
a pathological liar
Other Word Forms
- nonpathologic adjective
- nonpathological adjective
- nonpathologically adverb
- pathologically adverb
- postpathologic adjective
- postpathological adjective
- semipathologic adjective
- semipathological adjective
- semipathologically adverb
- unpathological adjective
- unpathologically adverb
Etymology
Origin of pathological
First recorded in 1680–90; from Greek pathologik(ós) ( pathology, -ic ) + -al 1
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.
He would show himself to be a pathological liar but the news media waited several years to state that obvious fact.
From Salon
Yet, as your book points out, the manifestations of Nixon's anti-Semitism were clearly pathological.
From Salon
In Kosky’s view, it also feeds and thwarts Macheath’s pathological need to be loved, whether by his fellow characters or the members of the audience.
From New York Times
No, this is you losing 16 years of your life to a pathological liar.
From Washington Post
And doesn’t anyone in search of a laugh have basically the same need, merely to a less grotesque and pathological degree?
From New York Times
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.
