Meanings
plural idiopathies
- medicineA disease or condition arising spontaneously or having no known cause.
The sterilization that was first conceived as a recourse of limited medical reach came to be considered an efficient eugenical procedure that could prevent descendents^([sic]) with hereditary and transmissible disorders, such as mental deficiency, epilepsy, idiopathies, etc.
1970, D. V. Salcedo, M. G. Mujica, “A Study of Sterilized Women in the Urban Communities of the Western Area of Santiago, 1963-1966”, in The Journal of Sex Research, volume 6, number 1, page 42
Synonyms & antonyms
nounany disease arising from internal dysfunctions of unknown cause
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekἰδιοπάθεια
- Latinidiopathia
- Englishidiopathy
From Latin idiopathia, from Ancient Greek ἰδιοπάθεια (idiopátheia). By surface analysis, idio- + -pathy. First appears c. 1634, in the publications of Philiatreus (fl. 1630).
More words from Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan idiopatia
- idiopatiaa disease having no known cause
French idiopathie
- idiopathiea disease having no known cause
Greek ιδιοπάθεια
- ιδιοπάθεια (idiopátheia)a disease having no known cause
Hungarian idiopátia
- idiopátiaa disease having no known cause
Icelandic frumkvilli
- frumkvillia disease having no known cause
Italian idiopatia
- idiopatiaa disease having no known cause
Japanese 特発
- 特発 (tokuhatsu)a disease having no known cause
Norwegian idiopati
- idiopatia disease having no known cause
Portuguese idiopatia
- idiopatiaa disease having no known cause
Russian идиопатия
- идиопатия (idiopatija)a disease having no known cause
Spanish idiopatía
- idiopatíaa disease having no known cause
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with idiopathy
All rhymes →Cite this entry
idiopathy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/idiopathy
“idiopathy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/idiopathy. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “idiopathy,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/idiopathy.
Source: idiopathy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.