pathologic
Meaning
Relating to or caused by disease.
Involving or caused by a physical or mental disease.
Structure
Usage
The biopsy revealed pathologic changes in the tissue.
His extreme jealousy was considered a pathologic condition.
The researcher focused on the pathologic mechanisms of the virus.
Etymology
The word "pathologic" is built from Greek components that literally mean "pertaining to the study of disease." The root pathos carried a broad sense of suffering or experience in ancient Greek, which narrowed in medical terminology to specifically denote disease. Combined with -logia (the study of), it formed the basis for "pathology." The adjectival suffix -ic was then attached, a common pattern in scientific English borrowed via Latin. Thus, the term evolved from a literal descriptor of a field of study to an adjective characterizing any phenomenon directly caused by or indicative of disease, reflecting a shift from the process of study to the inherent qualities of the subject itself.
Analysis
- patho: From Greek pathos, meaning "suffering, disease, feeling." In this word, it functions as a root denoting disease. - log: From Greek -logia, from logos meaning "word, reason, study." In this word, it is a combining form meaning "the study of." - ic: A suffix from Latin -icus and Greek -ikos, used to form adjectives meaning "of, pertaining to, or characteristic of."