pathogenesis
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of pathogenesis
From New Latin, dating back to 1875–80; see origin at patho-, -genesis
Explanation
The medical term pathogenesis means the source of a disease. Your doctor might guess that the pathogenesis of your ear infection was a bad cold that caused congestion and swelling. If you ask your doctor, "How did I get chickenpox?" you're asking about the pathogenesis of an illness that gave you an itchy rash and a high fever. The word stems from the Greek pathos, "suffering or disease," and genesis, "origin." In medical terms, pathogenesis lays out the biological progression of a disease from its origin to the symptoms it caused that sent you to your doctor's office.
Vocabulary lists containing pathogenesis
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.
"Only recently, with a number of breakthroughs in the field, did people begin to believe that the vascular system is involved in AD pathogenesis," Norris says.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 22, 2025
"We created a model of hibernation, which is so critical to understanding of the pathogenesis of the infection."
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2024
The findings may also illuminate pathogenesis of disease in general -- one of the many important reasons for investigating rare diseases, which are often viewed as insignificant since they affect so few people, says Simon.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 18, 2024
Among the various factors contributing to the pathogenesis of this condition is the loss of the blood-brain barrier, a highly selective protective cellular barrier that prevents harmful chemicals from entering the brain through the blood.
From Science Daily ● May 15, 2024
It is safe to say that not one in ten of those who practice the healing art has ever used it or is familiar with its pathogenesis.
From New, Old, and Forgotten Remedies: Papers by Many Writers by Anshutz, Edward Pollock
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.
