pathological
adjective
path·o·log·i·cal
| \ ˌpa-thə-ˈlä-ji-kəl
\
\
variants:
or less commonly pathologic \ ˌpa-thə-ˈlä-jik
\
\
Definition of pathological
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
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Other Words from pathological
pathologically
\ ˌpa-thə-ˈlä-ji-k(ə-)lē
\
adverb
\
adverb
Examples of pathological in a Sentence
He is a pathological liar.
She has a pathological fear of heights.
pathological changes in the body
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Recent Examples on the Web
Toronto booked a special presentations slot for the world premiere of Albert Shin's mystery drama Clifton Hill, which stars David Cronenberg, Hannah Gross and Downton Abbey actress Tuppence Middleton as a self-destructive pathological liar. — Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, "Toronto: Imogen Poots' 'Castle in the Ground,' Ellen Page Racism Documentary Join Lineup," 31 July 2019 Stress Across Species As with people, excess stress can cause pathological disorders in animals — even pampered pets. — Bridget Alex, Discover Magazine, "What Science Says About Why You're Stressed and How to Cope," 21 June 2019 Second, scaring business into action sits uneasily with Mr Johnson’s pathological optimism. — The Economist, "Preparing for no deal is a paradoxical process," 1 Aug. 2019 The exposure of the sick, weak, deformed children, in short, their destruction, was more decent and in truth a thousand times more human than the wretched insanity of our day which preserves the most pathological subject. — Myke Cole, The New Republic, "The Sparta Fetish Is a Cultural Cancer," 1 Aug. 2019 In fact, pretending that any degree of pain is abnormal or pathological will only foster feelings of inadequacy and frustration. — Rafael Euba, Quartzy, "Why striving for happiness makes people miserable," 23 July 2019 That dislike has grown into a pathological and scarcely sane hatred among those ultra-Remainers in influential positions who use the most vicious language to level the most extravagant allegations against him in the hope of upsetting his apple cart. — John O'sullivan, National Review, "Can Anyone Beat Boris?," 9 July 2019 According to the National Council on Problem Gambling, suicide rates among pathological gamblers were higher than among any other addictive disorder. — Rubén Rosario, Twin Cities, "Rosario: You’ve got to know when to hold ’em, and when to get help," 16 June 2019 Improving for the sake of improving is a pathological perspective. — Emma Grey Ellis, WIRED, "I Think I Hated This Tech Conference on Psychedelics," 8 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pathological.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for pathological
pathological
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of pathological
: extreme in a way that is not normal or that shows an illness or mental problem
medical
: relating to or caused by disease
technical
: of or relating to the study of diseases : relating to pathology
See the full definition for pathological in the English Language Learners Dictionary
pathological
adjective
patho·log·i·cal
| \ ˌpath-ə-ˈläj-i-kəl
\
\
variants:
also pathologic \ -ik
\
\
Medical Definition of pathological
1
: of or relating to pathology
a pathological laboratory
2
: altered or caused by disease
pathological tissue
also
: indicative of disease
pathological lesions
Other Words from pathological
pathologically
\ -i-k(ə-)lē
\
adverb
\
adverb