therapy

noun

ther·​a·​py ˈther-ə-pē 

plural therapies

1

: therapeutic medical treatment of impairment, injury, disease, or disorder

The number of new patients treated for end-stage renal disease … with dialysis or renal transplantation has continued to rise exponentially with an 8.4% annualized growth rate reaching more than 160,000 patients undergoing therapy in the United States in 1989.

—Friedrich K. Port

see also art therapy, chelation therapy, chemotherapy, gene therapy, hormone therapy, music therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, shock therapy, speech therapy

2

: psychotherapy

Furthermore, the psychotherapist knows that all actions in therapy are messages that need be decoded and understood regardless of the 'language' the patient uses.

—Bruno Bettelheim and Alvin A. Rosenfeld

Synonyms

• antidote
• corrective
• curative
• cure
• rectifier
• remedy
• therapeutic

Examples of therapy in a Sentence

He is undergoing cancer therapy.

talking over my problem with you has been good therapy

Recent Examples on the Web

Many behavioral support groups can assist, such as 12-step programs and individual therapy. —Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024

And those positive outcomes were greater than those associated with nonpharmacological treatments (exercise therapy, yoga, massage therapy, spinal manipulation, acupuncture, cognitive behavioral therapy), opioid therapy, and lumbar spine surgery. —Deborah Balthazar, STAT, 12 Apr. 2024

Previously, there have been several FDA-approved or cleared digital therapies to treat a range of mental health conditions, including substance abuse disorders. —Korin Miller, Verywell Health, 10 Apr. 2024

Gaffey said Majors must complete a 52-week, in-person batter's intervention program in Los Angeles, along with continuing mental health therapy. —Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 9 Apr. 2024

For pampering and wellness, there’s the award-winning Woodlands Spa and Salon and the Holistic Healing Center, where the signature therapies and rituals are restorative and rejuvenating. —Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 1 Apr. 2024

And some therapies, such as puberty blockers, are reversible, while related surgeries are rare, according to an analysis of health insurance claims from 2017 to 2021. —Emma Tucker, CNN, 30 Mar. 2024

The proprietary frequency technologies at the Reality Center activate the same parts of the brain which get stimulated by deep meditation and psychedelic therapies. —Yola Robert, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024

This affordable and portable ice bath is simply designed to enjoy cold water therapy anywhere. —Variety Staff, Variety, 28 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin therapia, from Greek therapeia, from therapeuein

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing therapy

• androgen deprivation therapy
• aversion therapy
• cognitive behavioral therapy
• behavior therapy
• cognitive therapy
• cognitive behavior therapy
• craniosacral therapy
• couples therapy
• polarity therapy
• occupational therapy
• play therapy
• primal scream therapy
• reparative therapy
• speech therapy
• shock therapy
• talk therapy
• X-ray therapy
• combination therapy
• art therapy
• electroshock therapy
• hormone therapy
• gene therapy
• radiation therapy
• light therapy
• electroconvulsive therapy
• conversion therapy
• chelation therapy
• music therapy
• massage therapy
• replacement therapy
• group therapy
• self-therapy
• hormone replacement therapy
• physical therapy
• estrogen replacement therapy
• behavioral therapy
• radium therapy

Kids Definition

therapy

noun

ther·​a·​py ˈther-ə-pē 

plural therapies

: treatment of an abnormal state of the mind or body

Medical Definition

therapy

noun

ther·​a·​py ˈther-ə-pē 

plural therapies

: therapeutic treatment: as

a

: remedial treatment of mental or bodily disorder

b

: an agency (as treatment) designed or serving to bring about rehabilitation or social adjustment see occupational therapy, recreational therapy