What does -nomy mean in medical terms?

-nomy

Meaning: system of laws; body of knowledge

Type: Suffix

A suffix goes at the very end of a word, after the root. On this page: what -nomy means, and real medical words that use it, each broken down into its parts.

Example words using -nomy

taxonomy
taxo (arrangement) + -nomy (system) = system of classification
autonomy
auto (self) + -nomy (law/rule) = self-rule; independence

Shortened forms

Charts and notes shorten long terms — see the Medical Abbreviations guide for the short forms you will meet in real records.

Please note: This section teaches the language of medicine — what word parts mean and how terms are built. It is an educational reference, not medical advice. For the meaning of a word in your own medical record, ask the clinician who wrote it.