# aetiology

> English word · Noun · IPA /iː.tɪˈɒ.lə.dʒi/ · frequency rank #98,939

## Definitions
1. The establishment of a cause, origin, or reason for something.
2. The study of causes or causation.
3. The study or investigation of the causes of disease; a scientific explanation for the origin of a disease.
4. A cause of disease or of any particular case of a disease (but see pathology § Usage notes).

## Etymology
Learned borrowing from Latin aetiologia, from Ancient Greek αἰτιολογία (aitiología), from αἰτία (aitía, “cause”). By surface analysis, aetio- + -logy; Doublet of aetiologia.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/aetiology