therapy

T1H4E1R1A1P3Y4
/ˈθɛɹ.ə.pi//ˈθɜɹ.ə.pi/

noun

Attempted remediation of a health problem following a diagnosis, usually synonymous with treatment.

“inclined bed therapy”

Similar
Very commonScrabble 15

Meanings

nountherapy (countable and uncountable, plural therapies)

plural therapies

  1. countableuncountableAttempted remediation of a health problem following a diagnosis, usually synonymous with treatment.

    inclined bed therapy

    3 more examples

    It will be seen that we are introducing to our readers the subject of Kinesitherapy, in common with other therapies, and it is very proper that we should do so.

    1851, “Omnium gatherum”, in American Magazine: Devoted to Homoeopathy and Hydropathy, volume 1, page 222

    […] second, its formidable features prompt the average physician at an early period to consult the dermatologist respecting its nature and therapy […]

    1885 November 28, James Nevins, “On the relations of lupus vulgaris to tuberculosis”, in Journal of Cutaneous and Venereal Diseases, volume 3, number 11

    Lahmann's unprecedented success proved beyond doubt the correctness of his teachings and the fallacy of the germ theory of disease, vaccinations and serum therapy.

    1926, Otto Carqué, The Key to Rational Dietetics, page 7
    1. countableuncountableSpecifically, psychotherapy.

      As a methodology, it provides a useful framework for evaluating the outcomes of therapy.

      1948, Harold B. Pepinsky, Diagnostic Categories in Clinical Counseling, page 3
      2 more examples

      The existential approach to therapy is philosophical, involving exploration of what it means to be alive.

      2015, Alan Meaden, Innovations in Psychosocial Interventions for Psychosis

      Because it is often confused with psychoanalysis, psychodynamics has at times been considered an outdated and outmoded approach to therapy.

      2015, David Capuzzi, Foundations of Couples, Marriage, and Family Counseling, page 152
  2. countableuncountableHealing power or quality.
verbtherapy (third-person singular simple present therapies, present participle therapying, simple past and past participle therapied)

present singular third person therapies · participle present therapying · participle past therapied · past therapied

  1. raretransitiveTo treat with a therapy.

    I was therapying her for some gene-based subroutine screwups that prevented easeful sexuality.

    2014, Greg Bear, Queen of Angels
    2 more examples

    As is the case for therapying ectopic ACTH production, very high serum cortisol levels necessitate adrenolytic therapy with o,p'DDD (mitotane), metopirone, or aminogluthetimide.

    1998, Ursula Rüther, Paraneoplastic syndromes, page 5

    There was no cytogenetic damage to the therapied or non-therapied regions in the buccal mucosa cells, as determined cytomorphologically.

    2012, Cells—Advances in Research and Application: 2012 Edition, page 579
  2. intransitiverareTo undergo a therapy.

    Therapy has almost eliminated violence, and people are divided into groups — the "therapied" and the "un-therapied."

    1992, Talking Book Topics, page 35
    2 more examples

    After a few years of talking about musicking, healthing, therapying, and so forth, most of us will have enough, I assume, and will not necessarily be in a new place.

    2002, Brynjulf Stige, Culture-centered music therapy, page 101

    In the mail were: $9 in orders for Eating at Arby's; a delightful New Wave story by Susan Mernit, who's finishing one novel and working on the next, all while adjuncting, therapying, and getting ready to divorce Spencer (though she doesn't know that yet); The Village Voice; a BC Alumni Association Board of Directors notice; and a xerox of a review of George's Modern Times.

    2011, Richard Grayson, West Side Summers, page 5

Synonyms & antonyms

Similar

noun(medicine) the act of caring for someone (as by medication or remedial training etc.)

Similar
Broader
medical caremedical aid
Also see

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*treb-der.?
  2. Ancient Greekθερᾰ́πων (therắpōn)
  3. Ancient Greekθεραπεύω (therapeúō)
  4. Ancient Greekθεραπεία (therapeía)
  5. New Latintherapīa
  6. Englishtherapy

From New Latin therapīa, from Ancient Greek θεραπεία (therapeía, “service, medical treatment”), from θεραπεύω (therapeúō, “to serve, treat medically”) + -ία (-ía, suffix for forming abstract nouns).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans terapie
  • terapietreatment of disease
Arabic عِلَاج, مُعَالَجَة
  • عِلَاج (ʕilāj)treatment of disease
  • مُعَالَجَة (muʕālaja)treatment of disease
Basque tratamendu
  • tratamendutreatment of disease
Bulgarian терапи́я, лече́ние
  • терапи́я (terapíja)treatment of disease
  • лече́ние (lečénie)treatment of disease
  • лекувам (lekuvam)to treat with a therapy
  • лекувам се (lekuvam se)to undergo a therapy
Catalan teràpia
  • teràpiatreatment of disease
Chinese Mandarin 療法 /疗法
  • 療法 /疗法 (liáofǎ)treatment of disease
Czech léčba, terapie
  • léčbatreatment of disease
  • terapietreatment of disease
Danish terapi, behandling
  • terapitreatment of disease
  • behandlingtreatment of disease
Dutch therapie
  • therapietreatment of disease
Esperanto terapio
  • terapiotreatment of disease
Estonian ravi, teraapia
  • ravitreatment of disease
  • teraapiatreatment of disease
Finnish hoito, terapia
  • hoitotreatment of disease
  • terapiatreatment of disease
  • terapoidato treat with a therapy
  • käydä terapiassato undergo a therapy
French thérapie
  • thérapietreatment of disease
German Therapie
  • Therapietreatment of disease
Greek θεραπεία, θεραπεία
  • θεραπεία (therapeía)healing power
  • θεραπεία (therapeía)treatment of disease
Hebrew טיפול \ טִפּוּל, תרפיה
  • טיפול \ טִפּוּל (tipúl)treatment of disease
  • תרפיה (terapia)treatment of disease
Hindi चिकित्सा, इलाज
  • चिकित्सा (cikitsā)treatment of disease
  • इलाज (ilāj)treatment of disease
Hungarian terápia
  • terápiatreatment of disease
Indonesian terapi
  • terapitreatment of disease
Italian terapia
  • terapiatreatment of disease
Japanese 治癒力, 療法
  • 治癒力 (chiyuryoku)healing power
  • 療法 (ryōhō)treatment of disease
  • 治療 (chiryō)treatment of disease
  • 治癒 (chiyu)treatment of disease
Korean 요법, 료법
  • 요법 (yobeop)treatment of disease
  • 료법 (ryobeop)treatment of disease
  • 치료 (chiryo)treatment of disease
Latin therapīa
  • therapīatreatment of disease
Latvian terapija
  • terapijatreatment of disease
Lithuanian terapija
  • terapijatreatment of disease
Māori haumanu
  • haumanutreatment of disease
Norwegian Bokmål terapi
  • terapitreatment of disease
Persian درمان, علاج
  • درمان (darmân)treatment of disease
  • علاج ('elâj)treatment of disease
Polish terapia, leczenie
  • terapiatreatment of disease
  • leczenietreatment of disease
Portuguese terapia
  • terapiatreatment of disease
Romanian terapie
  • terapietreatment of disease
Russian терапи́я, лече́ние
  • терапи́я (terapíja)treatment of disease
  • лече́ние (lečénije)treatment of disease
Scottish Gaelic teiripe
  • teiripetreatment of disease
Slovak liečba, terapia
  • liečbatreatment of disease
  • terapiatreatment of disease
Spanish terapia, terapia
  • terapiahealing power
  • terapiatreatment of disease
Swedish terapi
  • terapitreatment of disease
Tagalog terapiya
  • terapiyatreatment of disease
Turkish tedavi, terapi
  • tedavitreatment of disease
  • terapitreatment of disease
Ukrainian терапі́я, лікува́ння
  • терапі́я (terapíja)treatment of disease
  • лікува́ння (likuvánnja)treatment of disease
Urdu علاج
  • علاج ('ilāj)treatment of disease
Vietnamese điều trị
  • điều trịtreatment of disease
Cite this entry
APA

therapy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/therapy

MLA

“therapy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/therapy. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “therapy,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/therapy.

Source: therapy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.