-pathy
disease
From Greek -patheia, from pathos, suffering, feeling
Meaning
What does -pathy mean?
-pathy is a suffix meaning disease. It comes from Greek -patheia, from pathos, suffering, feeling.
Often covers any disorder, not only a named disease: neuropathy is nerve damage from any cause.
In real words
Medical words with -pathy
endocrinopathy
a disease caused by an endocrine gland working abnormally
neuropathy
nerve damage or disease that can cause pain, numbness, tingling or weakness, often starting in the hands or feet
nephropathy
disease or damage of the kidney, often caused by another condition such as diabetes
retinopathy
disease or damage of the retina, usually not caused by inflammation, as in diabetic retinopathy
cardiomyopathy
disease of the heart muscle that makes it harder for the heart to pump
any disease or abnormality of muscle tissue
adenopathy
enlargement or disease of glands, especially swollen lymph nodes
any disorder of the spinal cord (the term is sometimes also used for bone marrow)
Sources
Checked against
Written for biofideX in plain words, after checking these references:
- 1.5 Common Suffixes – Medical Terminology 2e
- 1.4 – Suffix – Building a Medical Terminology Foundation 2e
- -PATHY Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we'll correct it.
Disease and symptoms
-pathy is one of 15 parts in this lesson. Learn them together, then take real words apart.
Start the Lesson