Meaning & use

aetiology

noun·Advanced

The study of the causes of a disease or condition, or an account of those causes.

See it in a sentence

The doctors investigated the aetiology of the rash before prescribing any treatment.

Researchers are still debating the aetiology of the disorder despite decades of study.

A note on using this word

Aetiology is the standard British spelling; American English usually writes etiology instead.

Words with a similar meaning

etiologycausation

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

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