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Definition of therapy noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

therapy

noun
 
/ˈθerəpi/
 
/ˈθerəpi/
(plural therapies)
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  1. [uncountable, countable] the treatment of a physical problem or an illness
    • He is receiving therapy for cancer.
    • Most leukaemia patients undergo some sort of drug therapy (= treatment using drugs).
    • alternative/complementary therapies (= treatments that do not use traditional drugs)
    • new cancer therapies
    • They recommend exercise therapy for patients with chronic back pain.
    Collocations IllnessesIllnessesBecoming ill
    • catch a cold/​an infectious disease/​the flu/(British English) flu/​pneumonia/​a virus/(informal) a bug
    • get (British English) ill/(North American English) sick/​a disease/​AIDS/​breast cancer/​a cold/​the flu/(British English) flu/​a migraine
    • come down with a cold/​the flu/(British English) flu
    • contract a deadly disease/​a serious illness/​HIV/​AIDS
    • be infected with a virus/​a parasite/​HIV
    • develop cancer/​diabetes/​a rash/​an ulcer/​symptoms of hepatitis
    • have a heart attack/​a stroke
    • provoke/​trigger/​produce an allergic reaction
    • block/​burst/​rupture a blood vessel
    • damage/​sever a nerve/​an artery/​a tendon
    Being ill
    • feel (British English) ill/​nauseous/​queasy
    • be running (British English) a temperature/(North American English) a fever
    • have a head cold/​diabetes/​heart disease/​lung cancer/​a headache/(British English) a high temperature/(North American English) a fever
    • suffer from asthma/​malnutrition/​frequent headaches/​nausea/​bouts of depression/​post-traumatic stress disorder
    • be laid up with/ (British English) be in bed with a cold/​the flu/(British English) flu/​a migraine
    • nurse a cold/​a headache/​a hangover
    • battle/​fight cancer/​depression/​addiction/​alcoholism
    Treatments
    • examine a patient
    • diagnose a condition/​disease/​disorder
    • be diagnosed with cancer/​diabetes/​schizophrenia
    • prescribe/​be given/​be on/​take drugs/​medicine/​medication/​pills/​painkillers/​antibiotics
    • treat somebody for cancer/​depression/​shock
    • have/​undergo an examination/​an operation/​surgery/​a kidney transplant/​therapy/​chemotherapy/​treatment for cancer
    • have/​be given an injection/(British English) a flu jab/(North American English) a flu shot/​a blood transfusion/​a scan/​an X-ray
    • cure a disease/​an ailment/​cancer/​a headache/​a patient
    • prevent the spread of disease/​further outbreaks/​damage to the lungs
    • be vaccinated against the flu/(British English) flu/​the measles/(British English) measles/​polio/​smallpox
    • enhance/​boost/​confer/​build immunity to a disease
    see also chemotherapy, combination therapy, gene therapy, hormone replacement therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, physiotherapy, radiotherapy, speech therapyTopics Healthcareb2, Jobsb2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • alternative
    • complementary
    • occupational
    … of therapy
    • course
    verb + therapy
    • need
    • require
    • seek
    therapy + noun
    • group
    • session
    phrases
    • a form of therapy
    See full entry
  2. (also psychotherapy)
    [uncountable] the treatment of problems with somebody's mental health by talking with them
    • in therapy She's in therapy.
    • I went into therapy because my doctor suggested it.
    • the use of hypnosis as a form of therapy
    • a therapy group/session
    see also art therapy, aversion therapy, conversion therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, electroconvulsive therapy, electroshock therapy, family therapy, group therapy, music therapy, retail therapy, shock therapyTopics Mental healthb2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • alternative
    • complementary
    • occupational
    … of therapy
    • course
    verb + therapy
    • need
    • require
    • seek
    therapy + noun
    • group
    • session
    phrases
    • a form of therapy
    See full entry
  3. Word Originmid 19th cent.: from modern Latin therapia, from Greek therapeia ‘healing’, from therapeuein ‘minister to, treat medically’.
See therapy in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee therapy in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
perfectly
adverb
 
 
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