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patología

pah-toh-loh-HEE-ah/patoˈloxia/

“patología” means “pathology” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

pathology

Also: study of disease
NounfB2formal
A scientist in a white coat looking through a microscope at a colorful slide in a bright lab.

📝 In Action

La patología es una asignatura difícil en la carrera de medicina.

B1

Pathology is a difficult subject in the medical degree.

El laboratorio de patología analiza las muestras de tejido.

B2

The pathology lab analyzes tissue samples.

Gracias a la patología, entendemos mejor cómo mutan los virus.

C1

Thanks to pathology, we better understand how viruses mutate.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • anatomía patológica – pathological anatomy
  • informe de patología – pathology report

condition, disease

Also: pathology
NounfB1
A person resting in bed with a thermometer in their mouth and a bowl of soup nearby.

📝 In Action

El paciente no tiene ninguna patología previa.

B1

The patient has no pre-existing conditions.

Existen patologías que son hereditarias.

B2

There are diseases that are hereditary.

Es una patología muy poco común en niños.

B1

It is a very rare condition in children.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • patología crónica – chronic condition
  • patología mental – mental disorder
  • patología cardíaca – heart condition

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "patología" in Spanish:

pathology→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: patología

Question 1 of 3

¿Cuál es la traducción más común de 'patología' cuando un médico habla de una enfermedad específica?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
patológico(pathological) — Adjective
patólogo(pathologist) — Noun
psicopatología(psychopathology) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
biologíapsicologíageología
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from two Greek words: 'pathos' (meaning suffering or feeling) and 'logia' (meaning the study of). So, it literally means 'the study of suffering'.

First recorded: 18th century (modern medical usage)

Cognates (Related words)

English: pathologyFrench: pathologieItalian: patologia

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'patología' only used for humans?

No, it can be used in veterinary medicine for animals or even 'fitopatología' for plant diseases!

What is the difference between 'enfermedad' and 'patología'?

'Enfermedad' is the everyday word for 'illness'. 'Patología' is more technical and is used by scientists and doctors to describe the clinical nature of the problem.

How do I pronounce the 'g' in 'patología'?

The 'g' sounds like a breathy English 'h', similar to the sound in 'hot' but with a bit more friction in the throat.