etiology

/ˌitiˈɑləʤi/

Other forms: etiologies

If you figure out the etiology of your friend's incessant hiccups, she'll be incredibly grateful, because etiology means "the cause of a disease or condition."

The noun etiology is usually used by doctors and researchers who study disease and other medical topics. It means "origin" when you use it to describe illness or medical disorders, and it also refers to the study of the way things are caused. This second definition of etiology includes the study of disease, but you can use it to talk about the origins of anything at all.

Definitions of etiology

1. noun

   the cause of a disease
   synonyms: aetiology

   type of:

   cause

   events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something
2. noun

   the philosophical study of causation
   synonyms: aetiology

   type of:

   philosophy

   the rational investigation of questions about existence and knowledge and ethics