etiology

noun

eti·​ol·​o·​gy ˌē-tē-ˈä-lə-jē 

plural etiologies

1

: cause, origin

specifically : the cause of a disease or abnormal condition

2

: a branch of knowledge concerned with causes

specifically : a branch of medical science concerned with the causes and origins of diseases

Example Sentences

The scarf had been purchased in one of those tiny, exquisitely organized stores that can seduce you into thinking it matters less what you wear than how you accessorize what you wear, and the scarf came in just the noncolor colors that I like: mustard and khaki and taupe, shades of dun, nothing too vivid, yet subtly enlivening. I have traced the etiology of this object the better to convey the irrational significance of its loss. —Daphne Merkin, New York Times Magazine, 5 May 1991

In social terms, regardless of its etiology, memory loss may be a way of coping with harsh reality. —Elizabeth W. Markson, Growing Old in America, (1985) 1987

I have Freud in my novel as a doctor someone has heard about somewhere, perhaps in Vindobo-na in Pannonia (Vienna in Austria to you), who thinks, though not in so many words, that neuroses have no somatic etiology. I call him Sameach, which is Hebrew for Freud. I also call him Efcharistimenos, which is Greek for Freud. Damn it, I couldn't spell it out more if I tried. —Anthony Burgess, Times Literary Supplement, 2 Aug. 1985

Recent Examples on the Web

However, there is plausible evidence for an infectious etiology, including observations that the disease is known to occur in outbreaks. —Vincent Racaniello, Discover Magazine, 12 Jan. 2012

Upward of 300 pediatric hepatitis cases of unknown etiology or origin have been reported by more than two dozen countries, according to information drawn from the CDC, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, and the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA). —Helen Branswell, STAT, 9 May 2022

But the true etiology of Christina’s disease remains a medical enigma, one that continues to be explored in academic medicine. —Rebecca Kreston, Discover Magazine, 30 Mar. 2016

All were treated with antibiotic drops and the infections quickly resolved, pointing to a bacterial etiology. —Rebecca Kreston, Discover Magazine, 1 Mar. 2016

Research does not support popular accounts implicating physiological factors in menstrual chocolate craving etiology. —Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 26 July 2017

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported 169 cases of acute hepatitis of unknown etiology, ranging from 1 month to 16 years old, with approximately 10% requiring liver transplantation at least one death, according to an April 23 report. —Shiv Sudhakar, Fox News, 28 Apr. 2022

Like most just-so stories, this appealing etiology has disintegrated under scrutiny. —Richard Pallardy, Discover Magazine, 3 Nov. 2021

She was referred for evaluation of an allergic etiology before continuing her workup with a computed tomographic head scan. —Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 19 Aug. 2016

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Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin aetiologia statement of causes, from Greek aitiologia, from aitia cause

First Known Use

circa 1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

etiology

noun

eti·​ol·​o·​gy ˌēt-ē-ˈäl-ə-jē 

: the cause or origin especially of a disease

Medical Definition

etiology

noun

eti·​ol·​o·​gy

variants or chiefly British aetiology

ˌēt-ē-ˈäl-ə-jē 

plural etiologies

1

: the cause or causes of a disease or abnormal condition

some types of cancer have a viral etiology

a multiple etiology in which biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors all play a role

—M. E. Jackson et al.

2

: a branch of medical science dealing with the causes and origin of diseases