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.
“On balance, we see these transactions as consistent with CSL management’s revised R&D strategy, including the development of candidates from external sources relevant to existing therapeutic areas,” analyst David L. Bailey says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026
"While additional studies are needed, this work provides new insight into how youth-associated factors influence pathways involved in brain aging and age-related neurological disorders that may ultimately inform therapeutic strategies," Dr. Castellano added.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2026
Jeremy told the Supreme Court: "There was no reason why, if Ben Field had smuggled Dalmane into Peter Farquhar's food or drink that night, he would have restricted himself to a therapeutic dose."
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
Studies have increasingly shown comedy to be a powerful therapeutic tool.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
The media tend to present each new procedure as though it represented a breakthrough and therapeutic triumph, instead of the makeshift that it really is.
From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
