How to Use idiopathic in a Sentence

idiopathic

adjective
  • When doctors cannot find a cause for the scarring condition, it is known as being idiopathic.
    — Elana Glowatz, Newsweek, 9 Mar. 2018
  • But in this case, the man seemed to have a chronic, idiopathic case, meaning there was no clear cause of the gargantuan guts.
    — Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 23 Aug. 2018
  • For idiopathic nightmares, their origins aren’t traumatic but their true sources for the dream are unclear.
    — Katie Liu, Discover Magazine, 6 Dec. 2023
  • In a statement, his family said the cause of death was idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
    — Juliana Kim, NPR, 15 Dec. 2024
  • One is called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, which is treated with Ofev (nintedanib).
    — Dr. Keith Roach, oregonlive, 19 Sep. 2023
  • When that happens, the condition is called idiopathic epilepsy.
    — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 18 Nov. 2025
  • Fourteen people with the fatal lung disease idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis took a mix of the drugs dasatinib and quercetin for three weeks.
    — San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 July 2019
  • In others, an underlying health disorder or idiopathic toe walking may be to blame.
    — Angelica Bottaro, Verywell Health, 12 July 2024
  • She has been diagnosed with an idiopathic fibrosis of the lungs, meaning none of her doctors really has much idea of how to treat her condition.
    — Catherine Bray, Variety, 4 Oct. 2023
  • His death, in a hospital, was from the lung disease idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, his family said in a statement.
    — Jon Pareles, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2024
  • The chef had a long-standing lung condition, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
    — Staff Reports, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2020
  • This can happen due to diabetes or other medical conditions or for no reason at all (idiopathic).
    — Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 21 Sep. 2022
  • Schechter was diagnosed with idiopathic transverse myelitis, an inflammation of the spine.
    — Nadia Kounang, CNN, 29 Apr. 2018
  • If a doctor rules out all underlying conditions and the patient has normal hormone levels, the teen then has idiopathic hirsutism.
    — Dr. Manny Alvarez, Fox News, 6 June 2017
  • Without methotrexate, many of Schulert’s juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients could no longer hold a pencil or type on a computer.
    — Sonja Sharpstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2022
  • His wife, Joan Brock, said the cause was complications from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a lung disease.
    — Washington Post, 13 Dec. 2017
  • While most muscle cramps occur due to idiopathic (unknown) causes, they are often linked with factors such as exercise, muscle overuse, straining, and diet.
    — Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 1 Oct. 2024
  • Tethered to oxygen, the Chrysler employee had suffered from a disease called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis for the past seven years.
    — Shari Rudavsky, Indianapolis Star, 19 Apr. 2018
  • Its lead drug has been tested in Phase 2 studies in different types of narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia.
    — Ed Silverman, STAT, 31 Mar. 2026
  • He had been diagnosed with the lung disease idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, his family said in a statement Thursday.
    — Sara Spary, CNN, 12 Mar. 2020
  • His wife, Melinda (Kessler) Spratlan, said the cause was idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
    — Neil Genzlinger, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2023
  • One of the startup’s main efforts is a drug to tackle idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a condition where scar tissue forms in the lungs, making breathing difficult.
    — Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 22 Jan. 2026
  • At 12, she was diagnosed with idiopathic scoliosis, a severe curvature of the spine.
    — Mark Jaffe, The Know, 8 Mar. 2017
  • The young girl was diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis in March 2020.
    — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
  • Since Simon has idiopathic epilepsy, Klee specializes in taking in medical foster dogs, as well as dogs who otherwise would be hard to adopt.
    — Kate Aurthur, Variety, 8 Feb. 2026
  • Ladd had been diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in 2018.
    — Theresa Braine, Mercury News, 1 Dec. 2025
  • His wife, Elizabeth (Golfman) Anobile, said the cause was idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
    — Richard Sandomir, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2023
  • Razi was diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy, a form that's thought to derive from genetics, in 2013 and placed on anti-seizure medication, the park said.
    — Scottie Andrew and Saeed Ahmed, CNN, 10 July 2019
  • Some people develop an enlarged heart that doesn’t squeeze properly (called an idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy), and viral infection is thought to be the cause of many of these cases.
    — Dr. Keith Roach, oregonlive, 21 Feb. 2022
  • The cause was idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a lung disease, according to his wife, Constance DeJong, a sculptor.
    — Fred A. Bernstein, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'idiopathic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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