pathology

[ puh-thol-uh-jee ]

/ pəˈθɒl ə dʒi /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR pathology ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural pa·thol·o·gies.

the science or the study of the origin, nature, and course of diseases.

the conditions and processes of a disease.

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

Nearby words

pathological, pathological anatomy, pathological liar, pathologist, pathologize, pathology, pathomimesis, pathomorphism, pathophysiology, pathos, pathosis

Origin of pathology

1590–1600; earlier pathologia < Latin < Greek pathología. See patho-, -logy

Related forms

pa·thol·o·gist, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for pathology

Living with the threat of random death raining down leads to a strange way of life, a pathology of indirect fire.
Dodging Rockets in Afghanistan as the Taliban’s Fighting Season Begins|Nick Willard|May 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When Retsky showed the pathology report to William Hrushesky, his treating oncologist, the doctor exclaimed, “Mamma mia.”
How Big Pharma Holds Back in the War on Cancer|ProPublica|April 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But there is an obsession, bordering on pathology, with keeping wages as low as humanly possible.
McDonald’s and Visa Conjure Fantasy Budget for Low-Wage Employees|Daniel Gross|July 16, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Both exaggerations emerge from the unhappy overlap between a common Israeli political pathology and a common American pathology.
Neither "Best Friend" Nor "Anti-Israel"|Gil Troy|October 17, 2012|DAILY BEAST

The financial world is currently gripped by the pathology of quarterly earnings, short-termism, and fear.
Wall Street’s Irrational Negative Reaction to Apple’s Earnings Report|Zachary Karabell|July 25, 2012|DAILY BEAST
But I need not dwell on consequences that belong to pathology rather than to Jurisprudence.
Moral Principles and Medical Practice|Charles Coppens
I merely wished to give you food for reflection, not a lesson in pathology.
Three Plays by Brieux|Eugne Brieux
He was an excellent operator, and stood alone and unrivalled in comparative anatomy and pathology.
Norfolk Annals|Charles Mackie
Their point of view is that of pathology; his, that of physiology.
The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 16, No. 96, October 1865|Various
The man of art then entered into a learned disquisition on pathology and the healthful practice of blood-letting.
The Mystery and Romance of Alchemy and Pharmacy|Charles John Samuel Thompson

British Dictionary definitions for pathology

pathology

/ (pəˈθɒlədʒɪ) /

noun plural -gies

the branch of medicine concerned with the cause, origin, and nature of disease, including the changes occurring as a result of disease

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

any variant or deviant condition from normal

Derived Forms

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

Medicine definitions for pathology

pathology

[ pă-thŏl′ə-jē ]

n.

The medical science concerned with all aspects of disease with an emphasis on the essential nature, causes, and development of abnormal conditions, as well as with the structural and functional changes that result from disease processes.

The anatomical or functional manifestations of a disease.

Science definitions for pathology

pathology

[ pə-thŏl′ə-jē ]

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

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

Culture 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.