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

In January, Larijani’s daughter, Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani, left her position as an assistant professor in the department of hematology and medical oncology at the medical school of Emory University, according to The Emory Wheel, the student newspaper at the university. —Alexander Smith, NBC news, 17 Mar. 2026

While any leukemia diagnosis is frightening, the prognosis for hairy cell leukemia is generally excellent with treatment, Tsarwhas, the LFH oncology director, noted. —Daniel I. Dorfman, Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026

For Adrian Dobs, an endocrinologist and professor of medicine and oncology at Johns Hopkins University, the first order of business should be studying why men die earlier and get sick more than women. —Annalisa Merelli, STAT, 12 Mar. 2026

Biomarkers are already used to guide treatment in other medical disciplines, such as oncology. —Jamie Ducharme, USA Today, 12 Mar. 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