oncology

noun

on·​col·​o·​gy än-ˈkä-lə-jē 

äŋ-

: a branch of medicine concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and study of cancer

oncological

ˌäŋ-kə-ˈlä-ji-kəl 

adjective

or oncologic

ˌäŋ-kə-ˈlä-jik 

oncologist

än-ˈkä-lə-jist 

äŋ-

noun

Examples of oncology in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Goldman Sachs upgrades BioNTech to buy from neutral Goldman says the biotech company is a share gainer in the oncology space. —Michael Bloom, CNBC, 16 Jan. 2026

In a 2021 McKinsey study, researchers found that just 1% of research and innovation investments were focused on women-specific conditions beyond oncology. —Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 14 Jan. 2026

That’s by a broader definition of women’s health than is sometimes used to categorize startups; not just reproductive health, but also hormonal health, oncology, autoimmune disease, and more. —Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 13 Jan. 2026

To experts, the figure is a marker of the progress in oncology since the passage of the National Cancer Act in 1971, when only 50% of cancer patients lived past five years. —Angus Chen, STAT, 13 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

onco- + -logy

First Known Use

circa 1857, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for oncology

• anthology
• apology
• astrology
• biology
• christology
• chronology
• conchology
• cosmology
• cryptology
• cytology
• doxology
• ecology

Kids Definition

oncology

noun

on·​col·​o·​gy än-ˈkäl-ə-jē 

: a branch of medicine concerned with the study and treatment of tumors

Medical Definition

oncology

noun

on·​col·​o·​gy än-ˈkäl-ə-jē, äŋ- 

plural oncologies

: a branch of medicine concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and study of cancer

oncological

ˌäŋ-kə-ˈläj-i-kəl 

adjective

also oncologic

-ik