Origin: Greek
suffix -ology
Etiology has 3 different meanings across 1 category:
Noun
Noun
1
the cause of a disease
"The doctor spent hours researching the etiology of her rare infection to determine its root cause."
2
the philosophical study of causation
"The philosopher's lecture on etiology explored how cause and effect are fundamentally linked in human reasoning."
3
US standard spelling of aetiology.
"The etymology of the word is not its etiology, even though both terms relate to origins and causes."
In plain English: Etiology is the study of what causes a specific disease or condition to happen.
"The doctor spent hours explaining the etiology of her chronic back pain to understand its root cause."
Example Sentences
"The doctor spent hours explaining the etiology of her chronic back pain to understand its root cause."
noun
"The doctor studied the etiology of the patient's illness to find its root cause."
noun
"Understanding the etiology of her allergies helped her avoid future flare-ups."
noun
"The research team focused on determining the etiology behind the sudden power outage."
noun
Broader Terms (hypernyms)
Origin
The word comes from the Greek aition, meaning "cause," combined with -logy to mean "the study of causes." It entered English in the 17th century specifically to describe the investigation into what produces a disease or condition.