pathological

American  

[path-uh-loj-i-kuhl] / ˌpæθ əˈlɒdʒ ɪ kəl /

Also pathologic

adjective

1. of or relating to pathology, or the science or study of diseases and their causes.

   Research into the pathological origins of alcoholism is ongoing.

2. caused by, indicative of, or involving disease.

   Her white blood cell count had fallen to a pathological level.

3. 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.

4. dealing with diseases.

   The neurologist kept a pathological casebook from her practice as a source of examples for lectures.

5. Mathematics. designating a phenomenon or object, such as a function, that is logically and correctly defined but has counterintuitive or paradoxical properties.

6. 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.

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pathological British  

/ ˌpæθəˈlɒdʒɪkəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to pathology

2. relating to, involving, or caused by disease

3. informal compulsively motivated

   a pathological liar

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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

Grinch boosters point out that the villain repents and reforms at the end of the story, shedding his pathological hatred of Christmas.

From Los Angeles Times

In those cases, restoring NAD+ balance allowed the brain to repair the major pathological damage caused by the genetic mutations.

From Science Daily

The pathological self-regard required to be a YouTube star turned out to be reasonable preparation for the supercharged bravado of being a boxer.

From The Wall Street Journal

It’s a reminder that what often looks like dominance in the global economy may instead be symptomatic of a pathological codependence.

From The Wall Street Journal

The study appears in Molecular Psychiatry under the title "Defective Hoxb8 microglia are causative for both chronic anxiety and pathological overgrooming in mice."

From Science Daily