pathologist

American  

[puh-thah-luh-jist] / pəˈθɑ lə dʒɪst /

noun

1. a person who studies or works in pathology.

2. a medical doctor who specializes in diagnosing diseases.

3. Also called forensic pathologist. a medical doctor whose specialty is determining why someone died by examining their body.

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Explanation

A student who is fascinated with the causes of disease and death might decide to go to medical school and become a pathologist. A medical doctor who performs autopsies to learn how patients died is a pathologist. Other pathologists trace illness back to their root causes, or diagnose diseases such as cancer. When a doctor decides to to become a pathologist, her field is called "pathology." The Greek root of both words is pathologikos, "treating of disease," which combines pathos, "suffering," with logia, "study, or the study of."

Example Sentences

A forensic pathologist conducted a postmortem examination as part of the sheriff’s investigation into the woman’s death.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026

Their combined income of about $160,000 a year—from her work as a speech pathologist and his as an employment coordinator—stretches farther in Greenville, allowing them to dine out regularly and vacation abroad.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

The pathologist added that some of the bodies appeared to have originated from hospitals and mortuaries but that would be further determined after autopsies.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Theresa McGonigle also ordered that she not practice as a speech-language pathologist in California, where she has been licensed since 2016, while the criminal case is pending.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

Becky wants to be a pathologist and I want to be an aero-nautical engineer.

From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers