therapy

noun

ther·​a·​py ˈther-ə-pē How to pronounce therapy (audio)
plural therapies
1
: therapeutic medical treatment of impairment, injury, disease, or disorder
The number of new patients treated for end-stage renal disease … with dialysis or renal transplantation has continued to rise exponentially with an 8.4% annualized growth rate reaching more than 160,000 patients undergoing therapy in the United States in 1989.Friedrich K. Port
see also art therapy, chelation therapy, chemotherapy, gene therapy, hormone therapy, music therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, shock therapy, speech therapy
2
: psychotherapy
Furthermore, the psychotherapist knows that all actions in therapy are messages that need be decoded and understood regardless of the 'language' the patient uses.Bruno Bettelheim and Alvin A. Rosenfeld

Examples of therapy in a Sentence

He is undergoing cancer therapy. talking over my problem with you has been good therapy
Recent Examples on the Web Medicaid requires a minimum rebate from drug manufacturers, but without any competition, there probably won’t be much negotiation about the price of the therapy, Park said. Brenda Goodman, CNN, 20 Mar. 2024 After hearings, a judge ordered the teen be removed from the parents’ custody, get treated for the eating disorder and participate in individual and family therapy. The Indianapolis Star, 18 Mar. 2024 There was a Maltese therapy dog named Ziggy, and the walls were covered with paintings by the therapist herself. Jeff Seidel, USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2024 Gillan plays the enigmatic Laura Baines, the right-hand researcher to Marton Csokas’ Dr. Joseph Wieder and his memory reconsolidation therapy thesis. Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Mar. 2024 In clinical trials, each drug proved to significantly delay disease progression compared to standard therapy. Damian Garde, STAT, 15 Mar. 2024 However, Clay clearly had a change of heart since leaving the dating show and starting therapy. Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 14 Mar. 2024 Additionally, milk thistle may reduce cholesterol, lower blood sugar in people with diabetes, and serve as a complementary therapy to cancer treatment. Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 14 Mar. 2024 The stars of the animal therapy come from Virginia’s Walnut Creek Farm, and their owner, a veterinarian, will be on-site to answer questions — and to give you snacks to feed the goats. Chris Richards, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'therapy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin therapia, from Greek therapeia, from therapeuein

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of therapy was in 1838

Dictionary Entries Near therapy

Cite this Entry

“Therapy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/therapy. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

therapy

noun
ther·​a·​py ˈther-ə-pē How to pronounce therapy (audio)
plural therapies
: treatment of an abnormal state of the mind or body

Medical Definition

therapy

noun
ther·​a·​py ˈther-ə-pē How to pronounce therapy (audio)
plural therapies
: therapeutic treatment: as
a
: remedial treatment of mental or bodily disorder
b
: an agency (as treatment) designed or serving to bring about rehabilitation or social adjustment see occupational therapy, recreational therapy

More from Merriam-Webster on therapy

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