What does -tic mean in medical terms?

-tic

Meaning: pertaining to

Type: Suffix

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

Example words using -tic

diagnostic
dia- (complete) + gno (knowledge) + -tic (pertaining to) = pertaining to diagnosis
antiseptic
anti- (against) + sep (infection) + -tic (pertaining to) = pertaining to prevention of infection

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.