pathology

pathology — noun

1. the branch of medicine that examines disease, including its causes and the chang

1.名詞C2
釋義

the branch of medicine that examines disease, including its causes and the changes it makes in the body.

例句

After medical school, Nina chose pathology instead of surgery.

pattern: choose/study pathology

The hospital's pathology department tested the tissue sample that afternoon.

collocation: pathology department

同義詞
  • medicine

    much broader, covering treatment and general medical practice as well as study

  • pathophysiology

    narrower, focusing on how disease changes body function

  • histopathology

    more specific, dealing especially with diseased tissue under a microscope

文法句型

study pathology

pathology department

pathology class

用法筆記

Usually uncountable when it names the subject or field. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is the academic study, while sense 2 is the disease-related change itself.

常見錯誤

❌Mia studies pathologies at medical school.
✅Mia studies pathology at medical school.
💡Use the uncountable form when you mean the field of study.
❌The book explains pathology as a science class only.
✅The book explains pathology as the medical study of disease.
💡This sense covers the whole medical field, not just one class.

2. the changes in the body that form a disease or show how it affects tissue or org

2.名詞C2
釋義

the changes in the body that form a disease or show how it affects tissue or organs.

例句

The scan showed the lung pathology before Maya felt any pain.

pattern: organ + pathology

Doctors discussed the brain pathology during Sam's case meeting.

同義詞
  • disease process

    stresses how the illness develops over time

  • abnormality

    broader and less technical, not limited to disease

  • lesion

    more specific, usually one damaged area rather than the whole pattern of change

反義詞
  • normal tissue

    refers to healthy structure without disease-related change

文法句型

pathology of + disease

lung/brain/heart pathology

show pathology

用法筆記

Often follows the name of an organ or comes after of to name the disease. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is about the actual abnormal change, not the study of it.

常見錯誤

❌The paper studies a new pathology in medical school.
✅The paper studies the pathology of the disease.
💡In this sense, pathology means the disease-related change itself, often linked to a disease or organ.
❌The pathology were clear on the scan.
✅The pathology was clear on the scan.
💡This sense is usually uncountable when it means the abnormal changes in tissue or organs.

3. a disease or unhealthy condition, especially in technical medical use.

3.名詞C2
釋義

a disease or unhealthy condition, especially in technical medical use.

例句

The clinic treats skin pathologies in farm workers every summer.

technical plural: pathologies

The report lists three eye pathologies found in children under six.

pattern: list several pathologies

同義詞
  • disease

    the most general word and often less technical than pathology

  • disorder

    common in medical naming and often used for conditions affecting function

  • condition

    very broad and sometimes softer in tone than disease

  • syndrome

    used when a set of signs or symptoms tends to appear together

反義詞
  • health

    the state of being well rather than diseased

文法句型

rare/serious pathology

treat pathologies

list several pathologies

用法筆記

Most often appears in technical writing or specialist talk, especially in the plural. Distinguish from sense 4: this sense is for real medical disorders, not figurative social or mental problems.

常見錯誤

❌The doctor found many pathology in the report.
✅The doctor found many pathologies in the report.
💡Use the plural countable form when you mean several diseases or conditions.
❌Stress at work is a pathology in his office.
✅Stress at work is a serious problem in his office.
💡This sense is for medical conditions, not ordinary workplace problems.

4. a harmful mental, social, or language pattern that seems extreme and hard to con

4.名詞C2
釋義

a harmful mental, social, or language pattern that seems extreme and hard to control.

例句

Mina's need to win every talk became a family pathology.

collocation: family pathology

The paper calls online hate a pathology of public debate.

phrase: pathology of + public life

同義詞
  • dysfunction

    focuses on something not working properly in a person, group, or system

  • social ill

    usually refers to a wider public problem rather than one pattern of behavior

  • obsession

    stronger for one person's extreme fixated thought or habit

  • disorder

    can overlap in mental-health contexts, but pathology is more analytical and often figurative

反義詞
  • balance

    suggests emotional or social stability instead of unhealthy excess

文法句型

a pathology of + society/system

family pathology

call something a pathology

用法筆記

Common in formal criticism of behavior, institutions, or public life. It usually suggests something deep and unhealthy, not a small everyday problem.

常見錯誤

❌A broken printer is a pathology in the office.
✅A habit of blame is a pathology in the office.
💡This figurative sense is for serious unhealthy patterns, not ordinary practical problems.