naturopathic

IPA/ˌneɪtʃərəˈpæθɪk/
IPA/ˌneɪtʃərəˈpæθɪk/

naturopathic — adjective

  • naturopathicpositive
  • more naturopathiccomparative
  • most naturopathicsuperlative

1. connected with a type of healthcare that tries to improve health through diet, h

1.adjectiveC2
Definition

connected with a type of healthcare that tries to improve health through diet, herbs, and other natural treatments instead of ordinary drug-based medicine.

Example

Aylin visited a naturopathic clinic for advice on her long-term migraines.

usually before nouns like clinic, doctor, or treatment

Many parents in the town tried naturopathic treatments before buying sleeping pills.

collocation: naturopathic treatments

Common collocations
  • naturopathic clinic
  • naturopathic doctor
  • naturopathic treatment
  • naturopathic remedy
  • naturopathic approach
Synonyms
  • holistic

    broader; can describe whole-person care even when it is not specifically naturopathy

  • herbal

    narrower; focuses only on plant-based remedies rather than the whole treatment approach

  • alternative

    broader umbrella term for non-mainstream treatments, not just naturopathic ones

Antonyms
  • conventional

    describes mainstream medical treatment based on standard clinical practice

  • pharmaceutical

    focuses on treatment through manufactured drugs rather than natural methods

Grammar Patterns

naturopathic + noun

Usage Note

Usually comes before a noun, especially clinic, doctor, treatment, remedy, or approach. It is mainly used in formal or professional discussion about complementary medicine, not in casual talk about ordinary home remedies.

Common Mistakes

She studies naturopathic at college.
She studies naturopathy at college.
'naturopathic' is an adjective; 'naturopathy' is the noun for the treatment system.
The clinic gave him a naturopathic.
The clinic gave him a naturopathic treatment plan.
The word needs a following noun; it does not stand alone as a countable thing.

Word family

  • naturopathy
    nounC2
  • naturopath
    nounC2
  • naturopathically
    adverbC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words can appear in conversations about health care, but they do not mean the same thing. Naturopathic refers specifically to the ideas and practices of naturopathy, so it is the best choice for clinics, doctors, and treatment plans built around that system. Holistic is broader and stresses caring for the whole person, including sleep, stress, and lifestyle; a treatment can be holistic without being naturopathic. Herbal is narrower, because it focuses only on plant-based remedies. Alternative is the widest label of all: it covers any non-mainstream treatment, from acupuncture to homeopathy. A patient might choose a naturopathic doctor, take an herbal tea, and describe the whole experience as alternative or holistic care.

naturopathic ↗holistic ↗herbal ↗alternative ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • a naturopathic approach to care
  • a naturopathic treatment plan

Etymology

LatinGreekEnglish

Formed in English from naturopathy plus the adjective ending -ic. Naturopathy combines nature, from Latin natura, with the Greek-based element -pathy, which appears in names for systems of medical treatment. The adjective came to mean 'connected with naturopathy' and is now used for clinics, doctors, and treatments that try to support healing through diet, herbs, and other natural methods.