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

But then or now, that doesn’t mean that the people who pursue those activities are necessarily pathological. — Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, "Why Is There a ‘Gaming Disorder’ But No ‘Smartphone Disorder?’," 28 June 2018 Research to date shows that pathological gamblers and drug addicts share many of the same genetic predispositions for impulsivity and reward seeking. — Ferris Jabr, Scientific American, "How the Brain Gets Addicted to Gambling," 14 May 2018 The long oil boom that started at nearby Spindletop bequeathed Houston a freewheeling spirit and a pathological suspicion of zoning laws. — The Economist, "Demography is not destinyBuilding a multiracial coalition is more difficult than it seems," 12 July 2018 The principle of the deal is that the move is not solely about money - Ronaldo is a rich enough man - but the respect and worth that the money would symbolise, for a player who above all has a pathological need to be wanted and valued. — SI.com, "Juventus 'Begin' Stunning €120m Cristiano Ronaldo Move With Real Madrid Prepared to Negotiate," 3 July 2018 Consequently, some researchers assume that problematic gaming might share some of the same neurobiological mechanisms as pathological gambling and substance dependence. — Melissa Healy, ajc, "World Health Organization says video game addiction is a disease," 20 June 2018 And, so, within the space of a few days, the stories of government officials and prodigious writers tangled together, reminders of the pathological ways American culture approaches power in its many forms. — Megan Garber, The Atlantic, "The World Still Spins Around Male Genius," 9 May 2018 All mass killers do not emerge from the same pathological matrix. — Phillip Morris, cleveland.com, "A tale of one boy, one bullet and two obituaries: Phillip Morris," 4 Mar. 2018 This practice conveys a message that Down syndrome is pathological, something to be avoided. — Chris Kaposy, STAT, "Children with Down syndrome live good lives. Prenatal testing shouldn’t nudge parents toward pregnancy termination," 18 May 2018

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.