pathography

noun

pa·​thog·​ra·​phy pə-ˈthä-grə-fē How to pronounce pathography (audio)
: biography that focuses on a person's illnesses, misfortunes, or failures
also : sensational or morbid biography

Examples of pathography in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Seife is not committing pathography. James Gleick, The New York Review of Books, 13 Apr. 2021

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from German Pathographie, from patho- patho- + -graphie -graphy

First Known Use

1917, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pathography was in 1917

Dictionary Entries Near pathography

Cite this Entry

“Pathography.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pathography. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on pathography

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!