et ‧ i ‧ ol ‧ o ‧ gy /ˌiːtiˈɒlədʒi, $ -ˈɑːlə-/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable and countable]
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: aetiologia , from Greek aitia 'cause' ]
technical the cause of a disease or the scientific study of this
—etiological /ˌiːtiəˈlɒdʒɪk ə l◂ $ -ˈlɑː-/ adjective
—etiologically /-kli/ adverb