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

The report found that, for the first time in 16 years, oncology has been surpassed as the largest contributor to late-stage pipeline value by obesity treatments. —Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 4 May 2026

Pembrolizumab, sold under the brand name Keytruda, was the top-grossing oncology drug in both clinics and hospitals, the ASHP report said. —Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026

That's when his daughter Kelly, an oncology nurse at Scripps Cancer Clinic in San Diego, stepped in. —Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026

Second, the same precision-medicine approaches that are now transforming oncology must be applied to mental illness, identifying biomarkers early enough to alter disease trajectory. —Eric J. Nestler, STAT, 28 Apr. 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