pathological

adjective

path·o·log·i·cal | \ ˌpa-thə-ˈlä-ji-kəl

variants: or less commonly pathologic \ ˌpa-thə-ˈlä-jik

Definition of pathological

1 : of or relating to pathology pathological research A pathological examination led to the diagnosis.

2 : altered or caused by disease pathological changes in the body also : indicative of disease pathological symptoms

3 : being such to a degree that is extreme, excessive, or markedly abnormal a pathological liar pathological fear

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Examples of pathological in a Sentence

He is a pathological liar. She has a pathological fear of heights. pathological changes in the body

Recent Examples on the Web

The documentary took a stance against the view of childbirth as inherently pathological and emphasized the intuitive power of a woman’s body and the normalcy of birth. — Danielle Jackson, Longreads, "A Frustrating Year of Reporting on Black Maternal Health," 14 June 2018 But over the subsequent weeks and months, Meehan slowly revealed himself to be the very opposite: A pathological liar with an ugly temper, a criminal past, and a long history of conning, manipulating, and abusing women. — Emma Dibdin, Harper's BAZAAR, "A Complete Timeline of the Events of Dirty John," 14 Jan. 2019 Unfortunately the theory still dominated pathological discourse until the 19th century. — Maude Campbell, Popular Mechanics, "The Complete History of the Autopsy," 26 Dec. 2018 The portrayal of addicts as pathological shapes everything from our drug policy to our coke rap. — Josie Duffy Rice, The Atlantic, "The Gospel According to Pusha T," 12 July 2018 Instead of being praised as a straight-shooter, I was called a gold-digger, a con artist, and a pathological liar. — Fox News, "Bill Cosby accuser Andrea Constand's full victim impact statement to the court about her experience," 26 Sep. 2018 Kraus and Reid both note as an example how the understanding of pathological gambling as a behavioral issue has changed over time. — Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, "Compulsive Sexual Behavior Is Now Recognized as a Disorder, But It isn’t the Same as Sex Addiction," 27 July 2018 Instead of being praised as a straight-shooter, I was called a gold-digger, a con artist, and a pathological liar. — Fox News, "Bill Cosby accuser Andrea Constand's full victim impact statement to the court about her experience," 26 Sep. 2018 Its temperature increments—every degree between 140 F and 212 F—allow for near-pathological levels of control. — Francine Maroukian, Popular Mechanics, "Hack Your Coffee: How to Use a French Press the Right Way," 15 Feb. 2015

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pathological.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.