Standard Lemma guide

paleopathology

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

The study of ancient diseases.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Any ancient disease itself.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

the study of disease of former times (as inferred from fossil evidence)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: palaeopathology

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: pathology, archeology, archaeology

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Ancient Greek πᾰλαιός (pălaiós)der. English paleo- Ancient Greek πάσχω (páskhō)der. Ancient Greek πᾰ́θος (pắthos) Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- Ancient Greek λόγος (lógos) Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Proto-Indo-European *-i-eh2 Proto-Hellenic *-íā Ancient Greek -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā) Ancient Greek -λογῐ́ᾱ (-logĭ́ā)bor. Latin -logialbor. French -logie French pathologiebor. English pathology English paleopathology From paleo- + pathology.

Across languages

Translations

4 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Dutch: paleopathologie — the study of ancient diseases
  • Finnish: paleopatologia — the study of ancient diseases
  • French: paléopathologie — the study of ancient diseases
  • Spanish: paleopatología — the study of ancient diseases