pathologize: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Formal, Academic, Clinical, Critical Social Science
Quick answer
What does “pathologize” mean?
To treat or characterize a normal behaviour, condition, or emotion as a medical problem or psychological disorder.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To treat or characterize a normal behaviour, condition, or emotion as a medical problem or psychological disorder.
To analyse or interpret something, particularly in a social or cultural context, through the lens of disease, disorder, or abnormality, often implying an overreach or problematic application of medical concepts.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The spelling variant 'pathologise' is the standard British form, while 'pathologize' is standard in American English. No significant difference in meaning or usage.
Connotations
Identical; the critical connotation is present in both varieties.
Frequency
Slightly more common in American academic and critical discourse, but widely used in both.
Grammar
How to Use “pathologize” in a Sentence
[Subject] pathologizes [Object][Object] is pathologized (by [Subject])to pathologize [Object] as [Complement]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “pathologize” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- Some critics argue that we pathologise normal childhood shyness.
- The Victorian era pathologised female sexuality in unhelpful ways.
American English
- The media often pathologizes political dissent as mental instability.
- We must be careful not to pathologize grief.
adverb
British English
- He spoke pathologisingly about everyday anxiety.
American English
- The condition was described pathologizingly in the report.
adjective
British English
- She wrote a paper on the pathologising discourse in 19th-century psychiatry.
- His approach was seen as overly pathologising.
American English
- The article criticizes the pathologizing language used in some self-help books.
- They rejected the pathologizing model of addiction.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare, but may appear in critiques of 'burnout culture' being pathologized instead of addressing workplace structures.
Academic
Common in sociology, psychology, gender studies, and critical theory to critique the expansion of diagnostic categories.
Everyday
Very rare; used by informed laypeople discussing mental health or societal trends.
Technical
Used in clinical psychology, psychiatry, and medical ethics to discuss diagnostic boundaries and potential overdiagnosis.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “pathologize”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “pathologize”
- Using it as a neutral synonym for 'diagnose' (it is critical).
- Misspelling as 'pathelogize' or 'phathologize'.
- Using it in contexts where a genuine pathology is uncontroversially present.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, in contemporary usage it is predominantly used in a critical sense to label an action as an overreach or misapplication of medical concepts.
The most common related noun is 'pathologization' (or 'pathologisation' in UK English), meaning the process or result of pathologizing something.
It would be contradictory. The term implies treating a non-pathological state as pathological. A genuine disease is, by definition, already pathological.
To 'stigmatize' is to treat someone with disgrace or shame. To 'pathologize' is to frame their state as a medical disorder. Pathologization can be a specific form of stigmatization, but not all stigmatization is medical in nature.
To treat or characterize a normal behaviour, condition, or emotion as a medical problem or psychological disorder.
Pathologize is usually formal, academic, clinical, critical social science in register.
Pathologize: in British English it is pronounced /pəˈθɒlədʒaɪz/, and in American English it is pronounced /pəˈθɑːlədʒaɪz/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “to pathologize the human condition”
- “a pathologizing gaze”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'PATHOLOGY' (study of disease) + '-IZE' (to make into). 'To PATHOLOG-IZE' is to 'make something into a pathology' that may not be one.
Conceptual Metaphor
NORMAL IS HEALTHY / ABNORMAL IS DISEASED. The act of pathologizing applies the 'DISEASE' metaphor frame to a wide range of states.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the verb 'pathologize' most accurately used?