pertaining to the healing of disease, 1640s, probably shortened from therapeutical (c.1600), from Modern Latin therapeuticus "curing, healing," from Greek therapeutikos, from therapeutes "one ministering," from therapeutein "to cure, treat," of unknown origin, related to therapon (genitive therapontos) "attendant." Therapeutic was used from 1540s as a noun meaning "the branch of medicine concerned with treatment of disease."