idiopathic
adjective
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Idiopathic joins the combining form idio- (from Greek idios, meaning "one's own" or "private") with -pathic, a form that suggests the effects of disease. The combining form idio- is typically found in technical terms. Examples include idiographic, meaning "relating to or dealing with something concrete, individual, or unique"; idiolect, meaning "the language or speech pattern of one individual at a particular period of life"; and idiotype, meaning "the molecular structure and conformation of an antibody that confers its antigenic specificity." A more common idio- word is idiosyncrasy, which most commonly refers to an unusual way in which a person behaves or thinks, or to an unusual part or feature of something.
Examples of idiopathic in a Sentence
Jeff Marks, CNBC, 31 Mar. 2026
Its lead drug has been tested in Phase 2 studies in different types of narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia.
—Ed Silverman, STAT, 31 Mar. 2026
Since Simon has idiopathic epilepsy, Klee specializes in taking in medical foster dogs, as well as dogs who otherwise would be hard to adopt.
—Kate Aurthur, Variety, 8 Feb. 2026
One of the startup’s main efforts is a drug to tackle idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a condition where scar tissue forms in the lungs, making breathing difficult.
—Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for idiopathic
Cite this Entry
“Idiopathic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/idiopathic. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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idiopathic
adjective
