homeopath
UK[ˈhəʊ.mi.ə.pæθ]US[ˈhoʊ.mi.ə.pæθ]
n
A practitioner of homeopathy, a system of alternative medicine that treats patients with very small doses of substances that in larger amounts would produce symptoms of the disease itself.
Morpheme Breakdown
homeo
path
homeo
similar
path
sufferer
Etymology
The term 'homeopath' is a modern scientific coinage from the early 19th century, constructed from two ancient Greek elements to precisely describe its foundational principle. The first part, homeo-, meaning 'similar', directly references the core 'law of similars' (similia similibus curentur) which posits that a substance causing symptoms in a healthy person can cure similar symptoms in a sick person. The second part, -path, meaning 'sufferer', identifies the practitioner as one who treats the suffering patient according to this specific doctrine. Thus, the word's literal construction as 'similar-sufferer' elegantly encodes the therapeutic logic of the system, distinguishing it from allopathic ('other-suffering') medicine.
Analysis
Structure: homeo (similar) + path (sufferer)
- homeo: From Greek hómoios, meaning 'like, similar, of the same kind'. It functions as a combining form indicating similarity or sameness.
- path: From Greek -pathēs, meaning 'sufferer', derived from pathos meaning 'suffering, feeling'. It functions as a suffix denoting one who experiences or suffers from something.
Examples
The homeopath prescribed a highly diluted remedy made from mountain arnica for the bruising.
She consulted a licensed homeopath for her chronic allergies.
As a classical homeopath, he spends considerable time understanding the patient's complete symptom picture.