therapeutic
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
-
of or relating to the treatment of disease; curative
-
serving or performed to maintain health
therapeutic abortion
Other Word Forms
- nontherapeutic adjective
- nontherapeutical adjective
- nontherapeutically adverb
- therapeutically adverb
- untherapeutic adjective
- untherapeutical adjective
- untherapeutically adverb
Etymology
Origin of therapeutic
1535–45; < New Latin therapeuticus < Greek therapeutikós, equivalent to therapeú ( ein ) to attend, treat medically (akin to therápōn attendant) + -tikos -tic
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A review paper from a few years ago describes klotho protein as a “potential therapeutic target.”
From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026
“This transaction further diversifies and strengthens our position in oncology as we continue to look for opportunities to broaden our portfolio into other therapeutic areas,” said Merck CEO Robert Davis.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 25, 2026
The deal focuses on gamgertamig, an immune reset therapeutic, co-developed with Galapagos.
From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026
"We show that increased infiltration of T cells that are attacking tumor cells translates into a therapeutic benefit for patients with glioblastoma," said Chiocca, who is also a co-senior author of the study.
From Science Daily • Mar. 20, 2026
For many black people in the region, watching the evidence that we had presented in court now laid out on national television was therapeutic.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
