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-pathic
- a combining form occurring in adjectives that correspond to nouns ending in -pathy:
psychopathic.
pathic
/ ˈpæθɪk /
noun
- a catamite
- a person who suffers; victim
adjective
- of or relating to a catamite
- of or relating to suffering
Word History and Origins
Origin of -pathic1
Example Sentences
Lungs affected by idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis become scarred, losing function.
My question skewed him that I knew his origin, and he began to speak openly to me; and knowing that I was acquainted with the peculiar tastes of M. de Mocenigo, the ambassador, he informed me laughingly that he was his pathic.
He was the favourite pathic of Cardinal Borghese, and supped every evening with his eminence.
The pathic escaped from the bed and crept into his mother's, while the little wanton told me there was really no harm, as they only loved each other as brother and sister, and that if I wanted her to sleep by herself all I had to do was to get her a new bed.
Only the vice-legate's auditor," she replied; "and though he makes me his pathic he is good-natured and generous.
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Words That Use -pathic
What does -pathic mean?
The combining form -pathic is used like a suffix to denote an adjective related to nouns that end in -pathy, which can mean variously “disease,” “suffering,” or “treatment of disease.” The form -pathic is specifically used to mean “diseased.” It is often used in medical terms, especially in pathology.
The form -pathic ultimately comes from Greek pátheia, meaning “suffering” or “feeling.” The form is combined with the suffix -ic, from Latin -icus, which is used to denote an adjective.
What are variants of -pathic?
While -path doesn’t have any immediate variants, it is closely related to three other combining forms, -path, -pathia, and -pathy. Want to know more? Check out our Words That Use entries for all three forms.
Examples of -pathic
One example of a term that you may be familiar with that features the form -pathic is sociopathic, “having the traits of or relating to a person with a psychopathic personality whose behavior is antisocial, often criminal, and who lacks a sense of moral responsibility or social conscience.”
The form socio- has a variety of meanings, including “social” and “society.” The form -pathic roughly means “diseased,” so sociopathic literally means “socially diseased.”
What are some words that use the combining form -pathic?
What are some other forms that -pathic may be commonly confused with?
Break it down!
The combining form cyto- means “cell.” With this in mind, what does the pathological term cytopathic refer to?
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