idiopathic

adjective

id·​i·​o·​path·​ic ˌi-dē-ə-ˈpa-thik How to pronounce idiopathic (audio)
1
: arising spontaneously or from an obscure or unknown cause : primary
idiopathic epilepsy
2
: peculiar to the individual
idiopathically adverb

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Idiopathic joins the combining form idio- (from Greek idios, meaning "one's own" or "private") with -pathic, a form that suggests the effects of disease. The combining form idio- is typically found in technical terms. Examples include idiographic, meaning "relating to or dealing with something concrete, individual, or unique"; idiolect, meaning "the language or speech pattern of one individual at a particular period of life"; and idiotype, meaning "the molecular structure and conformation of an antibody that confers its antigenic specificity." A more common idio- word is idiosyncrasy, which most commonly refers to an unusual way in which a person behaves or thinks, or to an unusual part or feature of something.

Examples of idiopathic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The cause was idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a lung disease, according to his wife, Constance DeJong, a sculptor. Fred A. Bernstein, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2024 That’s the length of Ashburn-area resident Colette Hurd’s stay due to her idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension, a condition that affects blood vessels in the lungs and the right side of the heart and causes the heart and lungs to weaken over time. Darcel Rockett, Chicago Tribune, 17 Aug. 2022 For idiopathic nightmares, their origins aren’t traumatic but their true sources for the dream are unclear. Katie Liu, Discover Magazine, 6 Dec. 2023 The most common postmortem findings among the athletes either found no specific reason for the sudden cardiac arrest or found that idiopathic left ventricular hypertrophy (the thickening of the heart's left pumping chamber) or possible cardiomyopathy (a disease of the heart muscle) were to blame. Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023 She has been diagnosed with an idiopathic fibrosis of the lungs, meaning none of her doctors really has much idea of how to treat her condition. Catherine Bray, Variety, 4 Oct. 2023 One is called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, which is treated with Ofev (nintedanib). Dr. Keith Roach, oregonlive, 19 Sep. 2023 The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) and the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) recently published new practice guidelines for how to treat chronic idiopathic constipation in adults. Sherri Gordon, Health, 14 June 2023 What This Means For You The ACG and AGA now recommend magnesium oxide and senna as treatment options for chronic idiopathic constipation. Alyssa Hui, Verywell Health, 2 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'idiopathic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1669, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of idiopathic was in 1669

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Dictionary Entries Near idiopathic

Cite this Entry

“Idiopathic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/idiopathic. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

idiopathic

adjective
id·​io·​path·​ic ˌid-ē-ə-ˈpath-ik How to pronounce idiopathic (audio)
: arising spontaneously or from an obscure or unknown cause : primary
idiopathic epilepsy
idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura
idiopathically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on idiopathic

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