Word of the Day - 07/19/26
pathology
/,pæθə'mɔrfɪzəm/(n.): any deviation from a healthy or normal condition
The blood test revealed a pathology that required further investigation.
(n.): the branch of medical science that studies the causes and nature and effects of diseases
Dr. Evans is a leading expert in pathology, specializing in cancer diagnosis.
Word Origin
The word 'pathology' originates from Ancient Greek. It is composed of two parts: 'pathos' (πάθος), meaning 'suffering', 'disease', or 'feeling', and '-logia' (-λογία), meaning 'the study of' or 'a branch of knowledge'. Therefore, pathology literally means 'the study of suffering or disease'.
Words with similar origins include 'empathy' (from Greek 'en' + 'pathos', meaning 'in feeling'), 'sympathy' (from Greek 'syn' + 'pathos', meaning 'with feeling'), 'pathetic' (from Greek 'pathetikos', relating to suffering or emotion), and 'psychopath' (from Greek 'psyche' + 'pathos', relating to a diseased mind). Many scientific fields end in '-logy', such as 'biology', 'geology', and 'psychology', all deriving from the Greek '-logia'.
As a reminder, here are all of the words from this week:
extant derelict abscond
pathology
See if you can remember all of this week's words! Here is a sentence that includes all seven, followed by a version that simplifies them to help you remember:
The winsome detective, renowned for his sagacity, explored a derelict asylum where he uncovered an extant journal revealing the inextricable connection between the institution’s dark history and its mysterious pathology, before the culprit could abscond with the final piece of evidence.The charming detective, famous for his wisdom, explored an abandoned asylum where he uncovered an existing journal revealing the inseparable connection between the institution’s dark history and its mysterious cause of illness, before the culprit could escape with the final piece of evidence.