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etiology

etiology

3 8.8
The cause of a disease or medical problem
  • noun
  • /ˌiːtiˈɑːlədʒi/
  • Specialized
translation icon : etiología
  • Chronic external otitis is probably a disease of mixed etiology; infection and hypersensitivity both play an important role.
  • unknown etiology
  • etiology of the disease
  • possible etiologies

Examples

  • Early writings, going back to the 1920s, emphasized the family's role in the etiology of the disease.

    Academic text (1994)
  • Many studies have attempted to identify the etiology of substance use among children and youth.

    Academic text (1993)
  • Three of the individuals had no known etiology for their short stature.

    Academic text (1995)
  • The majority of patients with tinnitus are treated by identifying the specific etiology and providing specific treatment.

    Academic text (1995)
  • Awareness of a possible thyroid or parathyroid etiology may expedite treatment and prevent unnecessary interventions.

    Academic text (2006)
  • Some have contended that investigations often yield inadequate information concerning the etiology and contributing factors of foodborne illness outbreaks.

    Academic text (2008)
  • As a result, near-complete and complete tracheal rings are often the etiologies of tracheal stenosis.

    Academic text (2008)
  • Researchers are exploring the complex etiology of diabetes to better understand its development and treatment.

  • The etiology of the rare genetic disorder was traced back to a mutation on chromosome 21.

  • Identifying the etiology of a headache can help physicians prescribe more effective treatments.

Synonyms

ety
vsetiology
  • Specialized
9.9

The cause of a disease or medical condition

has the same meaning but is the full formal term not the short label

How Direct

root cause
  • Specialized
35 3.6
etiology
  • Specialized
3 8.8
causal factor
  • Specialized
1 4.5
health risk
27 3.3
confounder
  • Specialized
2 8.6

Surface Forms

etiology singular
etiologies plural
aetiologies plural
aetiology singular

Morphology

etiology = etio + logy

The word refers metonymically to the cause or origin itself, so the current sense is not fully predictable from the components alone.

Etymology

The word etiology comes from the Greek aitia 'cause' and the part -logy 'study'. So in medicine etiology can mean the actual 'cause' or origin of a disease.