Examples of etiology in a Sentence
The scarf had been purchased in one of those tiny, exquisitely organized stores that can seduce you into thinking it matters less what you wear than how you accessorize what you wear, and the scarf came in just the noncolor colors that I like: mustard and khaki and taupe, shades of dun, nothing too vivid, yet subtly enlivening. I have traced the etiology of this object the better to convey the irrational significance of its loss.
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Daphne Merkin, New York Times Magazine, 5 May 1991
In social terms, regardless of its etiology, memory loss may be a way of coping with harsh reality.
—Elizabeth W. Markson, Growing Old in America, (1985) 1987
I have Freud in my novel as a doctor someone has heard about somewhere, perhaps in Vindobo-na in Pannonia (Vienna in Austria to you), who thinks, though not in so many words, that neuroses have no somatic etiology. I call him Sameach, which is Hebrew for Freud. I also call him Efcharistimenos, which is Greek for Freud. Damn it, I couldn't spell it out more if I tried.
—Anthony Burgess, Times Literary Supplement, 2 Aug. 1985
Daphne Merkin, New York Times Magazine, 5 May 1991
In social terms, regardless of its etiology, memory loss may be a way of coping with harsh reality.
—Elizabeth W. Markson, Growing Old in America, (1985) 1987
I have Freud in my novel as a doctor someone has heard about somewhere, perhaps in Vindobo-na in Pannonia (Vienna in Austria to you), who thinks, though not in so many words, that neuroses have no somatic etiology. I call him Sameach, which is Hebrew for Freud. I also call him Efcharistimenos, which is Greek for Freud. Damn it, I couldn't spell it out more if I tried.
—Anthony Burgess, Times Literary Supplement, 2 Aug. 1985
Recent Examples on the Web
The principal events that establish this negative dynamic in their relationship—and, indeed, if such a thing were possible, the underlying etiology of Mother’s fundamental neurosis—lie beyond the scope of her pages and any living recall.
—Will Self, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024
The precise etiology of this dramatic reduction of blood inflammatory measures is yet to be determined.
—Bill Frist, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024
Alcohol was the most common etiology even in the general population — about 50%.
—Isabella Cueto, STAT, 22 July 2024
Given its complexity, frequent painfulness, mysterious etiology, and lack of a cure, the disease is a research white whale.
—Seyward Darby, Longreads, 27 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for etiology 
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Will Self, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024
The precise etiology of this dramatic reduction of blood inflammatory measures is yet to be determined.
—Bill Frist, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024
Alcohol was the most common etiology even in the general population — about 50%.
—Isabella Cueto, STAT, 22 July 2024
Given its complexity, frequent painfulness, mysterious etiology, and lack of a cure, the disease is a research white whale.
—Seyward Darby, Longreads, 27 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for etiology
Dictionary Entries Near etiology
Cite this Entry
“Etiology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/etiology. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
etiology
noun
eti·ol·o·gy
ˌēt-ē-ˈäl-ə-jē 
: the cause or origin especially of a disease
Medical Definition
etiology
noun
eti·ol·o·gy
variants
or chiefly British aetiology
plural etiologies
1
: the cause or causes of a disease or abnormal condition
some types of cancer have a viral etiology
a multiple etiology in which biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors all play a role—M. E. Jackson et al.
M. E. Jackson et al.2
: a branch of medical science dealing with the causes and origin of diseases
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