etiology

The etiology of a disease is its cause or origin.

Etiology is also the name for the study of the causes of diseases. It can also refer to the study of the cause of things in other fields, such as philosophy and physics. But it is most commonly used in the context of medicine. In British English, it is spelled aetiology.

Example: The doctors have taken some samples and are working to determine the etiology of the disease.

The first records of etiology in English come from the mid-1500s. Etiology derives from the Greek aitiología, meaning “determining the cause of something.” This is formed from aitía, “cause,” and –logia, which is the basis of -logy, which indicates the study of something.

In medicine, etiology involves studying the factors that cause a disease. This is done for individual patients to determine how they became sick and to diagnose their illness. But it is also done on a broader scale to determine the origin of diseases. Epidemiologists study how diseases spread throughout large populations and try to detect the source and cause of epidemics.

When a cause of a disease is determined, this is called its etiology. For example, the etiology of cholera is known to be a bacterium that contaminates food and drinking water in places with poor sanitation.

Although etiology is most commonly used in medicine, it can also be used in the context of any field in which the causes of things are studied. An example of etiology in psychology is the study of the causes of mental disorders.

What are some other forms related to etiology?

• aetiology (British English spelling)
• etiological (adjective)
• etiologically (adverb)
• etiologist (noun)

What are some words that share a root or word element with etiology?

• biology

What are some words that often get used in discussing etiology?

• cause
• origin
• disease
• study
• medicine
• evidence

Etiology is a formal, technical word that’s primarily used in medicine, but it can be used in other contexts as well.

Dementia is a general observation of mental decline available to any sharp observer. You need the MD to diagnose this condition’s etiology. There are MANY possible causes of dementia.

— Horse Sense (@mabian) March 9, 2020

Although the exact etiology, or cause, of stuttering is unknown, both genetics and neurophysiology are thought to contribute.

— Stutter No More (@StutterNoMore) April 8, 2020

“If the Jew did not exist, the anti-Semite would invent him.”
― Jean-Paul Sartre, Anti-Semite and Jew: An Exploration of the Etiology of Hate

— ZahnZee (@Zahn_Zee) April 6, 2020

Is etiology used correctly in the following sentence?  

The etiology of a disease isn’t always so simple—sometimes there are multiple factors.