therapeutic
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
-
of or relating to the treatment of disease; curative
-
serving or performed to maintain health
therapeutic abortion
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of therapeutic
1535–45; < New Latin therapeuticus < Greek therapeutikós, equivalent to therapeú ( ein ) to attend, treat medically (akin to therápōn attendant) + -tikos -tic
Explanation
Whether you’re talking about a therapeutic drug or a therapeutic exercise plan, something that is therapeutic helps to heal or to restore health. The adjective therapeutic can be traced all the way back to the Greek word therapeutikos (from therapeuein, meaning “to attend” or “to treat”). Although the word relates to healing or soothing, therapeutic isn’t reserved only for drugs or medical treatments. You’ve probably heard particular activities referred to as therapeutic, which just means that doing that activity makes you feel rejuvenated. You might consider shopping for shoes, for example, to be a therapeutic activity — at least until the credit card bill arrives.
Vocabulary lists containing therapeutic
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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.
“Creativity is so therapeutic. People get it crushed out of them, but there’s room for everyone. Music belongs to the people. And everyone loves Beatles songs.”
From Salon • Sep. 25, 2025
“We don’t necessarily make the game therapeutic. The games are therapeutic,” Douglas says.
From The Verge • Mar. 15, 2022
“Dunking, to me, is therapeutic. You dunk the ball as hard as you can, you feel some sort of relief — unless you feel pain from hurting your wrist,” Gafford said, chuckling.
From Washington Post • Apr. 28, 2021
"Stress is a killer in its own right. In that way gaming has been therapeutic. I've been in the chair since I was 17. I'm now 31. In many ways gaming has saved my life."
From BBC • Jan. 28, 2021
“Mim’s always trying to get me to garden. Says weeding is therapeutic. And I was like, ‘Yeah, sure,’ but I think she might be right.
From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman
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.
