What does -ology mean in medical terms?

-ology

Meaning: study of

Type: Suffix

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

Example words using -ology

cardiology
cardio (heart) + -ology (study of) = study of the heart
neurology
neuro (nerves) + -ology (study of) = study of the nervous system

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.