pathology

[ puh-thol-uh-jee ]
See synonyms for pathology on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural pa·thol·o·gies.
  1. the science or the study of the origin, nature, and course of diseases.

  2. the conditions and processes of a disease.

  1. any deviation from a healthy, normal, or efficient condition.

Origin of pathology

1
First recorded in 1590–1600; earlier pathologia, from Latin, from Greek pathología; see patho-, -logy

Other words from pathology

  • pa·thol·o·gist, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use pathology in a sentence

  • Small fragments of mucous membrane may be found, and when examined by a pathologist, may occasionally establish the diagnosis.

    A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell Todd
  • He was the godfather of typhoid fever, and from being a famous clinician became later a great pathologist.

  • The late Dr. Virchow, the great pathologist and the discoverer of the germ theory, was an active opponent of Evolution.

    The Other Side of Evolution | Alexander Patterson
  • At the Leyden congress, it was attacked by the illustrious pathologist Rudolph Virchow.

    The Other Side of Evolution | Alexander Patterson
  • And the brother pathologist on the left side: "Well, and what shall we say of intestinal auto-intoxication?"

British Dictionary definitions for pathology

pathology

/ (pəˈθɒlədʒɪ) /


nounplural -gies
  1. the branch of medicine concerned with the cause, origin, and nature of disease, including the changes occurring as a result of disease

  2. the manifestations of disease, esp changes occurring in tissues or organs

  1. any variant or deviant condition from normal

Derived forms of pathology

  • pathologist, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for pathology

pathology

[ pə-thŏlə-jē ]


  1. The scientific study of disease and its causes, processes, and effects.

  2. The physical and mental abnormalities that result from disease or trauma.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for pathology

pathology

[ (puh-thol-uh-jee) ]


A branch of medicine that explores the nature and cause of disease. Pathology also involves the study of bodily changes that occur as the result of disease.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.