Standard Lemma guide

physiotherapy

noun · 2 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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  • /ˌfɪziəʊˈθerəpi/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Therapy that uses physical techniques such as massage, ultrasound, heat, and exercise.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Commonwealth, Ireland, UK, countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

therapy that uses physical agents: exercise and massage and other modalities

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: physical therapy, physiatrics

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: therapy

Narrower terms: rehabilitation

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bhuH- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *bhuHyéti Ancient Greek φῠ́ω (phŭ́ō) Proto-Indo-European *-tis Ancient Greek -τις (-tis) Ancient Greek -σῐς (-sĭs) Ancient Greek φῠ́σῐς (phŭ́sĭs) English physio- Proto-Indo-European *treb-der.? Ancient Greek θερᾰ́πων (therắpōn) Ancient Greek -εύς (-eús) Ancient Greek -εύω (-eúō) Ancient Greek θεραπεύω (therapeúō) Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Proto-Indo-European *-i-eh2 Proto-Hellenic *-íā Ancient Greek -ία (-ía) Ancient Greek θεραπεία (therapeía)bor. New Latin therapīabor. English therapy English physiotherapy From physio- + therapy.

Across languages

Translations

38 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: عِلَاج طَبِيعِيّ (ʕilāj ṭabīʕiyy) — therapy that uses physical techniques such as massage and exercise
  • Catalan: fisioteràpia — therapy that uses physical techniques such as massage and exercise
  • Chinese Mandarin: 物理療法 /物理疗法 (wùlǐ liáofǎ) — therapy that uses physical techniques such as massage and exercise
  • Chinese Mandarin: 物理治療 /物理治疗 (wùlǐ zhìliáo) — therapy that uses physical techniques such as massage and exercise
  • Czech: fyzioterapie — therapy that uses physical techniques such as massage and exercise
  • Dutch: fysiotherapie — therapy that uses physical techniques such as massage and exercise
  • Dutch: kinesitherapie — therapy that uses physical techniques such as massage and exercise
  • Esperanto: fizioterapio — therapy that uses physical techniques such as massage and exercise
  • Esperanto: kinezoterapio — therapy that uses physical techniques such as massage and exercise
  • Esperanto: fizikoterapio — therapy that uses physical techniques such as massage and exercise
  • Finnish: fysioterapia — therapy that uses physical techniques such as massage and exercise
  • French: kinésithérapie — therapy that uses physical techniques such as massage and exercise
  • Friulian: fisioterapie — therapy that uses physical techniques such as massage and exercise
  • Georgian: ფიზიოთერაპია (pizioteraṗia) — therapy that uses physical techniques such as massage and exercise
  • German: Physiotherapie — therapy that uses physical techniques such as massage and exercise
  • Hindi: भौतिक चिकित्सा (bhautik cikitsā) — therapy that uses physical techniques such as massage and exercise
  • Hungarian: fizioterápia — therapy that uses physical techniques such as massage and exercise
  • Hungarian: gyógytorna — therapy that uses physical techniques such as massage and exercise
  • Icelandic: sjúkraþjálfun — therapy that uses physical techniques such as massage and exercise
  • Ido: fizioterapio — therapy that uses physical techniques such as massage and exercise
  • Indonesian: fisioterapi — therapy that uses physical techniques such as massage and exercise
  • Irish: fisiteiripe — therapy that uses physical techniques such as massage and exercise
  • Italian: fisioterapia — therapy that uses physical techniques such as massage and exercise
  • Japanese: 理学療法 (rigaku ryōhō) — therapy that uses physical techniques such as massage and exercise
  • Korean: 물리치료 (mullichiryo) — therapy that uses physical techniques such as massage and exercise
  • Macedonian: физиотерапија (fizioterapija) — therapy that uses physical techniques such as massage and exercise
  • Portuguese: fisioterapia — therapy that uses physical techniques such as massage and exercise
  • Russian: физиотерапи́я (fizioterapíja) — therapy that uses physical techniques such as massage and exercise
  • Slovak: fyzioterapia — therapy that uses physical techniques such as massage and exercise
  • Spanish: terapia física — therapy that uses physical techniques such as massage and exercise
  • Spanish: rehabilitación — therapy that uses physical techniques such as massage and exercise
  • Spanish: recapazitación — therapy that uses physical techniques such as massage and exercise
  • Swahili: tibamaungo — therapy that uses physical techniques such as massage and exercise
  • Swedish: sjukgymnastik — therapy that uses physical techniques such as massage and exercise
  • Thai: กายภาพบําบัด — therapy that uses physical techniques such as massage and exercise
  • Turkish: fizyoterapi — therapy that uses physical techniques such as massage and exercise
  • Turkish: fizik tedavi — therapy that uses physical techniques such as massage and exercise
  • Welsh: ffisiotherapi — therapy that uses physical techniques such as massage and exercise