Meaning & use
pathology
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Meanings
noununcountable
The scientific study of the causes, effects, and nature of diseases.
Grammar: Used without 'a' or plural: study pathology.
Patterns
- study pathology
- a professor of pathology
She is studying pathology at medical school.
Pathology helps us understand how diseases develop.
He teaches pathology to first-year students.
nouncountable or uncountable
The typical course and features of a particular disease.
Grammar: Can be used with 'a' or in plural: a pathology, the pathologies.
Patterns
- the pathology of a disease
- a known pathology
The pathology of this virus is still being researched.
Doctors described the pathology of the rare condition.
Each cancer has its own pathology.
Word forms
| plural | pathologies |
|---|
Common combinations
- study pathology
- He decided to study pathology after his medical degree.
- the pathology of a disease
- The pathology of Alzheimer's disease involves brain changes.
- a professor of pathology
- She became a professor of pathology at a major university.
- clinical pathology
- Clinical pathology focuses on laboratory diagnosis.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- pathologist noun
- A doctor who specializes in pathology.
- pathological adjective
- Relating to disease; also used for extreme behavior.
- pathologize verb
- To treat as a disease.
Commonly confused: pathology or pathogen?
pathology vs pathogen
A pathogen is a microorganism that causes disease; pathology is the study of disease.
Practice
In which sentence is 'pathology' used correctly?
Choose one answer.
Pathology is the study of disease, so 'studying pathology to understand diseases' fits. The other options confuse it with unrelated words or meanings.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pathology”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.