thanatologist
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˌθænəˈtɑlədʒɪst/
- Specialized
- As a thanatologist, she provides essential support to families coping with loss.
Examples
-
The thanatologist explained the stages of grief during the seminar.
-
Scholar of death, a thanatologist.
Fiction book (1996) -
I transformed myself from clinical suicidologist to clinical thanatologist, someone who deals with illness and mourning.
Academic text (1998) -
In her role as a thanatologist, she helps patients understand the process of dying.
How Specialized
- Specialized
1
9.9
∞
3.2
- US
497
3.2
144
3.1
160
3.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
thanatologist = thanatology (opaque) = thanato + log + ist
Adding '-ist' to 'thanatology' is a regular agent-noun formation, so the step from the base to the target is straightforward.
Etymology
Thanatologist comes from the Greek root thanatos, meaning 'death', and the ending -logist, which means 'one who studies' and appears in words like biologist and psychologist. So a thanatologist is someone who studies and often supports people around death and the process of dying.