Examples of etiology in a Sentence
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
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
With autism rates rising at an alarming pace, uncovering its etiology is a national imperative.
—Meg Tirrell, CNN Money, 10 Apr. 2025
For those where there may be a component of contact dermatitis, patch testing can be a helpful way to determine the specific etiology.
—Team Verywell Health, Verywell Health, 3 Apr. 2025
Freud was the proponent of etiology, a backward-looking theory that ascribes our behavior today to our shaping and forming early in life.
—Tim Maurer, Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025
But other possibilities, including a non-communicable etiology, cannot be ruled out.
—Dave Wessner, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for etiology
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Meg Tirrell, CNN Money, 10 Apr. 2025
For those where there may be a component of contact dermatitis, patch testing can be a helpful way to determine the specific etiology.
—Team Verywell Health, Verywell Health, 3 Apr. 2025
Freud was the proponent of etiology, a backward-looking theory that ascribes our behavior today to our shaping and forming early in life.
—Tim Maurer, Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025
But other possibilities, including a non-communicable etiology, cannot be ruled out.
—Dave Wessner, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for etiology
Cite this Entry
“Etiology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/etiology. Accessed 7 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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.
M. E. Jackson et al.2
: a branch of medical science dealing with the causes and origin of diseases
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