etiology

noun

eti·​ol·​o·​gy ˌē-tē-ˈä-lə-jē 

plural etiologies

1

: cause, origin

specifically : the cause of a disease or abnormal condition

2

: a branch of knowledge concerned with causes

specifically : a branch of medical science concerned with the causes and origins of diseases

Examples of etiology in a Sentence

The scarf had been purchased in one of those tiny, exquisitely organized stores that can seduce you into thinking it matters less what you wear than how you accessorize what you wear, and the scarf came in just the noncolor colors that I like: mustard and khaki and taupe, shades of dun, nothing too vivid, yet subtly enlivening. I have traced the etiology of this object the better to convey the irrational significance of its loss. —Daphne Merkin, New York Times Magazine, 5 May 1991

In social terms, regardless of its etiology, memory loss may be a way of coping with harsh reality. —Elizabeth W. Markson, Growing Old in America, (1985) 1987

I have Freud in my novel as a doctor someone has heard about somewhere, perhaps in Vindobo-na in Pannonia (Vienna in Austria to you), who thinks, though not in so many words, that neuroses have no somatic etiology. I call him Sameach, which is Hebrew for Freud. I also call him Efcharistimenos, which is Greek for Freud. Damn it, I couldn't spell it out more if I tried. —Anthony Burgess, Times Literary Supplement, 2 Aug. 1985

Recent Examples on the Web

The principal events that establish this negative dynamic in their relationship—and, indeed, if such a thing were possible, the underlying etiology of Mother’s fundamental neurosis—lie beyond the scope of her pages and any living recall. —Will Self, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024

The precise etiology of this dramatic reduction of blood inflammatory measures is yet to be determined. —Bill Frist, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024

Alcohol was the most common etiology even in the general population — about 50%. —Isabella Cueto, STAT, 22 July 2024

Given its complexity, frequent painfulness, mysterious etiology, and lack of a cure, the disease is a research white whale. —Seyward Darby, Longreads, 27 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin aetiologia statement of causes, from Greek aitiologia, from aitia cause

First Known Use

circa 1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

etiology

noun

eti·​ol·​o·​gy ˌēt-ē-ˈäl-ə-jē 

: the cause or origin especially of a disease

Medical Definition

etiology

noun

eti·​ol·​o·​gy

variants or chiefly British aetiology

ˌēt-ē-ˈäl-ə-jē 

plural etiologies

1

: the cause or causes of a disease or abnormal condition

some types of cancer have a viral etiology

a multiple etiology in which biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors all play a role

—M. E. Jackson et al.

2

: a branch of medical science dealing with the causes and origin of diseases