Therapeutic
/ˌθɛrəˈpjuːtɪk/noun
Relating to the treatment or cure of disease or conditions.
Did you know?Therapeutic comes from Greek θεραπευτικός (therapeutikos), tied to θεραπεύειν (therapeuein), which originally meant to attend, serve, or care for someone — a reminder that healing began as devoted service, not just medicine.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
θεραπευτικός (therapeutikos)
“serving, healing, or fit for treatment”
Ancient Greek
Greek
θεραπεύειν (therapeuein)
“to attend, care for, wait on, or treat medically”
Late Latin
Latin
therapeuticus
“healing, curative”
Old French
French
thérapeutique
“healing, medicinal”
16th–17th Century
English
therapeutic
“relating to the treatment of disease or healing”