n.
Pronunciation: ˌ ē -t ē - ' ä-l ə -j ē
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -gies
Etymology: Medieval Latin aetiologia statement of causes, from Greek aitiologia, from aitia cause
Date: circa 1555
1 : CAUSE , ORIGIN specifically : the cause of a disease or abnormal condition
2 : a branch of knowledge concerned with causes specifically : a branch of medical science concerned with the causes and origins of diseases