pathology
gb/pəθˈɑləd͡ʒi/ us/pəθˈɑləd͡ʒi/
C1
English
~ 7200
Senses
0 senses
Noun
technical
C1
entity
1
medical science of disease
The part of medicine that studies diseases by looking at blood, tissue, and other body samples in a lab.
Usage pattern:
[someone] studies / works in pathology
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think 'pathology' simply means 'disease'. In this sense it is the medical field that studies diseases, not the disease itself. Do not say *'He has a pathology'* when you mean *'He has a disease'*.
Synonyms
pathophysiology (More focused on how disease processes disturb normal body function, while pathology also includes lab and tissue examination.)
Antonyms
physiology (Physiology studies normal body functions, while pathology studies disease and abnormal conditions.)
Collocations
study pathology
|clinical pathology
|surgical pathology
|forensic pathology
|pathology laboratory
|department of pathology
Themes
medicine
|science
|health
|education
Examples
- She decided to specialize in pathology after completing her medical degree.
- Modern pathology has transformed how quickly doctors can diagnose cancer.
- The hospital is expanding its pathology department to handle more lab tests.
- Advances in digital pathology are changing how tissue samples are analyzed around the world.
Learner examples
- He wants to study pathology at medical school.
- I work in the pathology lab at the hospital.
- Pathology helps doctors understand how a disease starts and grows.
- The doctor sent the tissue sample to pathology for more tests.
Noun
technical
C2
state
2
abnormal changes caused by disease
The changes in body parts and how they work that are caused by a disease.
Usage pattern:
the pathology of [a disease / a condition]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this sense with the field of study (Sense 1). Here, 'pathology' means the actual changes in the body caused by disease, not the school subject or medical specialty.
Synonyms
disease process (Focuses more on the ongoing development of the disease, while 'pathology' highlights the concrete abnormalities present.)
Antonyms
normal physiology (Normal physiology describes healthy structure and function; pathology describes abnormal structure and function due to disease.)
Collocations
the pathology of cancer
|underlying pathology
|brain pathology
|tumor pathology
|pathology findings
|gross pathology
Themes
medicine
|science
|health
Examples
- The pathology of Alzheimer's disease includes the buildup of abnormal protein plaques in the brain.
- Biopsies were taken to better understand the underlying pathology of the lesion.
- At autopsy, the pathology of the lungs clearly indicated long-term smoking damage.
- Imaging studies can show the brain pathology associated with chronic alcohol abuse.
Learner examples
- The doctor explained the pathology of the disease to the family.
- This book describes the pathology of common heart problems.
- The lab report showed the pathology of early lung cancer.
- Scientists study the pathology of viruses to find better treatments.
Noun
formal
C2
state
3
deeply harmful condition or pattern
Very serious and harmful problems in how a person, group, or system behaves, spoken about as if they were a disease.
Usage pattern:
the pathology of [a behavior / a system]
Common mistake:
Learners may think this sense always refers to medical disease. In formal writing, it is often used metaphorically for serious problems in behavior or society. Do not use it for normal, everyday problems; it suggests something deep and unhealthy.
Synonyms
dysfunction (Less medical in tone and slightly broader; 'pathology' is more formal and strongly suggests something seriously unhealthy.)
Antonyms
health (Used metaphorically to mean that a person, group, or system is functioning in a sound, positive way, the opposite of 'pathology'.)
Collocations
the pathology of violence
|social pathology
|organizational pathology
|political pathology
|the pathology of addiction
|cultural pathology
Themes
psychology
|society
|emotions
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The book explores the pathology of racism in modern societies.
- Analysts have written about the political pathology that leads to repeated constitutional crises.
- Her research focuses on the social pathology of urban violence.
- Some managers fail to recognize the organizational pathology that is driving employees to quit.
Learner examples
- The film shows the pathology of a family that never talks about its problems.
- He studies the pathology of hate groups.
- Many people see corruption as a pathology of the political system.
- The writer describes the pathology of modern work life in big cities.
Grammar
Dictionary form
pathology
IPA
GB/pəθˈɑləd͡ʒi/
US/pəθˈɑləd͡ʒi/
Syllables & stress
patho - logy (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (logy)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: pathology
- Plural: pathologies, pathology
Word family
Forms
pathologies
noun
Core family
pathologist
noun
pathological
adjective
Related words
pathologically
adverb
Advanced or less common
pathologic
adjective
pathologize
verb
psychopathology
noun
Expressions
clinical pathology
1/klˈɪnɪkəl pəθˈɑləd͡ʒi/
fixed phrase
technical
lab-based study of disease
A part of pathology that studies diseases by testing blood, urine, and other body fluids and cells in a lab.
Examples
- He completed his residency in clinical pathology.
- Clinical pathology plays a key role in diagnosing infectious diseases.
- Advances in automation have changed how clinical pathology laboratories work.
plant pathology
1/plˈænt pəθˈɑləd͡ʒi/
fixed phrase
technical
study of plant diseases
The science that studies diseases in plants, such as those caused by fungi, bacteria, or viruses.
Examples
- She is a professor of plant pathology at the agricultural university.
- Plant pathology research helps farmers protect crops from new diseases.
- He attended a conference on plant pathology and food security.
surgical pathology
1/sˈɚd͡ʒɪkəl pəθˈɑləd͡ʒi/
fixed phrase
technical
tissue examination during/after surgery
A part of pathology that looks at tissue taken during surgery to find out what disease it is.
Examples
- The biopsy was sent to surgical pathology for confirmation.
- She is doing a fellowship in surgical pathology with a focus on breast cancer.
- Surgical pathology reports are critical for planning cancer treatment.
the pathology of
1/ðə pəθˈɑləd͡ʒi əv/
fixed phrase
formal
the harmful nature of something
Used before a noun to talk in a serious way about the deep, harmful parts or problems of something, as if it were a disease.
Examples
- Her article examines the pathology of online hate.
- The documentary looks at the pathology of modern consumer culture.
- Several essays in the collection discuss the pathology of loneliness in big cities.
forensic pathology
1/fɚˈɛnsɪk pəθˈɑləd͡ʒi/
fixed phrase
technical
medical study of deaths for law
A special field of medicine where doctors study dead bodies to find out how and why a person died for legal reasons.
Examples
- He chose to specialize in forensic pathology after working with the coroner.
- He completed his training in forensic pathology and now performs autopsies for the state.
- Forensic pathology findings were presented as evidence in the trial.
- Forensic pathology helped determine that the victim died of poisoning.
- The show focuses on a team of experts in forensic pathology.
- The report from forensic pathology contradicted the initial assumptions about the death.