Allopathy
Alternative forms
Origin
- + pathy + - – term coined by Samuel Hahnemann (the founder of homeopathy) as a pejorative term to indicate medicine that in his opinion treated something "other than" the disharmony that caused the disease. James C. Whorton – Nature Cures: The History of Alternative Medicine in America
Full definition of allopathy
Noun
allopathy
(countable and uncountable; plural allopathys)- (uncountable) traditional medicine
- (countable) a traditional medical method or treatment.
- (figuratively) organized medicine
Derived terms
Usage notes
Used principally to distinguish it from homeopathy (USA, UK, EU), especially in the literature of homeopathy; also connoting the law of opposites.
In the United States, the term is sometimes used to distinguish MDs from DOs (osteopathic physicians), usually in discussions of medical education.
In India, used principally to distinguish "Western medicine" from Ayurveda, especially when comparing treatments and drugs.