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
This Week in Words: March 3 – 9, 2018
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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.
"Going forward, we hope to clarify the mechanism by which pyruvate promotes triglyceride accumulation to pioneer the development of therapeutic drugs and establishment of preventive methods through dietary interventions," added Professor Harada.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 27, 2026
The same insights could also support efforts to engineer virus-like particles for vaccines and other therapeutic applications.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 22, 2026
The companies are set to reveal the full Phase 3 data for intismeran, a therapeutic cancer vaccine that they tested in patients with melanoma to see if it can prevent the recurrence of the cancer.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026
In ABA, common activities such as snacking can become therapeutic tasks, as workers help children learn how to request the food they want.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
In an ecological version of therapeutic nihilism, they want to leave the river basin to its own devices.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
