n., pl., -gies, also -gies.
- The study of causes or origins.
- The branch of medicine that deals with the causes or origins of disease.
- Assignment of a cause, an origin, or a reason for something.
- The cause or origin of a disease or disorder as determined by medical diagnosis.
[Late Latin aetiologia, from Greek aitiologiā : aitiā, cause + -logiā, -logy.]
etiologic e'ti·o·log'ic (-ə-lŏj'ĭk) or e'ti·o·log'i·cal adj.etiologically e'ti·o·log'i·cal·ly adv.
etiologist e'ti·ol'o·gist n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
