adjective
idiopathic
id-ee-oh-PATH-ik
Idiopathic (adjective) means relating to a disease or condition that has no known cause. Example: “Idiopathic pain has no identifiable cause despite thorough investigation.”
adjective
1
medicine Relating to a disease or condition that has no known cause.
"Idiopathic pain has no identifiable cause despite thorough investigation."
"The patient was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis."
"Doctors labelled her condition idiopathic after ruling out infection and injury."
How to use idiopathic
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishIt describes a condition doctors can't trace to a specific cause.
When to use it
Idiopathic is a formal medical term, mostly used by doctors and in clinical writing.
Memory tip
Idiopathic doesn't mean simply 'unknown' — it specifically means a medical cause hasn't been identified.
Trace the full origin ↓
Easily confused with
Common pairings
idiopathic disease
idiopathic pain
idiopathic condition
diagnosed as idiopathic
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_____ pain has no identifiable cause despite thorough investigation.
Etymology
Idiopathic is formed from idio- combined with -pathic, and the word is first recorded around 1669 in the writings of William Simpson.
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for idiopathic
See all rhymes for idiopathic →Frequently asked questions
What does idiopathic mean?
It describes a disease or condition that has no known cause.
Where does the word idiopathic come from?
It combines idio- with -pathic and is first recorded around 1669 in the writings of William Simpson.
What's a synonym for idiopathic?
Doctors also use cryptogenic, essential, primary or agnogenic to mean the same thing.
What is the meaning of idiopathic?
"idiopathic" (adjective) means relating to a disease or condition that has no known cause.
