pathological
adjective
path·o·log·i·cal
ˌpa-thə-ˈlä-ji-kəl 
variants
or less commonly pathologic
1
: of or relating to pathology
pathological research
A pathological examination led to the diagnosis.
2
: altered or caused by disease
pathological changes in the body
also
: indicative of disease
pathological symptoms
3
: being such to a degree that is extreme, excessive, or markedly abnormal
a pathological liar
pathological fear
Examples of pathological in a Sentence
He is a pathological liar.
She has a pathological fear of heights.
pathological changes in the body
Recent Examples on the Web
Alzheimer was interested in the normal and pathological anatomy of the brain’s cerebral cortex.
—
Kristen Rogers, CNN, 27 Feb. 2025
This type of brain tissue model was incredibly novel, and the findings were the first to explicitly show how the common viral infection can lead to pathological signs of Alzheimer’s.
—Rich Haridy, New Atlas, 25 Feb. 2025
The Founder’s Mindset: Obsession And Risk-Taking Like many legendary tech founders, Donaldson's origin story begins with an almost pathological focus on a single mission.
—Ian Shepherd, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
But there’s little here that justifies spending six long episodes with a pathological liar or convinces you that the show has anything new to say about social media.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 5 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pathological
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Kristen Rogers, CNN, 27 Feb. 2025
This type of brain tissue model was incredibly novel, and the findings were the first to explicitly show how the common viral infection can lead to pathological signs of Alzheimer’s.
—Rich Haridy, New Atlas, 25 Feb. 2025
The Founder’s Mindset: Obsession And Risk-Taking Like many legendary tech founders, Donaldson's origin story begins with an almost pathological focus on a single mission.
—Ian Shepherd, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
But there’s little here that justifies spending six long episodes with a pathological liar or convinces you that the show has anything new to say about social media.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 5 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pathological
Cite this Entry
“Pathological.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pathological. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
pathological
adjective
patho·log·i·cal
ˌpath-ə-ˈläj-i-kəl
variants
also pathologic
1
: of or relating to pathology
a pathological laboratory
2
: altered or caused by disease
pathological tissue
also
: indicative of disease
pathological lesions
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