therapy

UK: /ˈθɛrəpi/ US: /ˈθɛrəpi/ ,(ther′ə pē)

Inflections of 'therapy' (n): npl: therapies

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

ther•a•py /ˈθɛrəpi/   n., pl. -pies. 

1. Medicine [uncountable] the treatment of disease, injury, or disability by physical methods, as exercise or massage, without the use of drugs or surgery: physical therapy;
   speech therapy.
2. Psychotherapy [uncountable] psychotherapy.
3. [countable] any act, task, etc., that relieves tension.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

ther•a•py  (ther′ə pē), n., pl. -pies. 

1. Medicine the treatment of disease or disorders, as by some remedial, rehabilitating, or curative process:
   speech therapy.
2. a curative power or quality.
3. Psychotherapy psychotherapy.
4. any act, hobby, task, program, etc., that relieves tension.

• Greek therapeía healing (akin to therápōn attendant)
• Neo-Latin therapīa
• 1840–50

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

therapy / ˈθɛrəpɪ/ noun ( -pies)

1. the treatment of physical, psychiatric, or social disorders or disease
2. (in combination): physiotherapy, electrotherapy

Etymology: 19th Century: from New Latin therapia, from Greek therapeia attendance; see therapeutic