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.
"The therapeutic dose that was most consistently linked with improvements in blood pressure, inflammation and endothelial function was daily practice reinforced by weekly sessions over eight to 12-week periods," Hernandez said.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 1, 2026
It was weirdly therapeutic because I was like, “Oh, is that me a little bit?”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2026
The platform can carry poorly soluble drugs at relatively high concentrations and can be adapted for different therapeutic payloads and joint applications.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 31, 2026
Unlike traditional vaccines, Moderna’s therapeutic cancer vaccine must be personalized to each patient, meaning it will be costly to make.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026
It takes longer for the actual therapeutic effects to vanish, just as it took a longer time for them to begin.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
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.
