homeopathy
Meaning of homeopathy: Homeopathy is an alternative medicine system based on treating symptoms with extremely diluted substances chosen to mimic those same symptoms.
Definition of homeopathy
Homeopathy is a system of alternative medicine developed in the late eighteenth century, based on the idea that a substance capable of causing particular symptoms in a healthy person can, when prepared in a highly diluted form, treat similar symptoms in someone who is unwell. Practitioners refer to this underlying idea as the principle that like cures like.
Homeopathic preparations are typically diluted repeatedly, often to the point that little or none of the original substance remains, and homeopathy holds that this dilution process, combined with vigorous shaking between steps, increases rather than reduces the preparation's effect.
Homeopathy's proposed mechanism is not supported by the current scientific understanding of chemistry and biology, and rigorous clinical research has not demonstrated that homeopathic preparations work better than placebo for treating disease, a position reflected in the consensus of mainstream medical and scientific organizations.
Also known as
Used in a sentence
The patient mentioned using a homeopathic remedy alongside conventional treatment.
Good to know
Homeopathic preparations are diluted to such a degree that many contain no detectable amount of the original substance, a point central to why the practice lacks support from mainstream scientific and medical organizations.
Word origin
Where “homeopathy” comes from
Formed from Greek homoios, meaning similar or like, and pathos, meaning suffering or disease, reflecting the principle that like cures like.