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therapist

Etymology and origin of the English word therapist

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1880
Ultimate origin
English (therapy)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈθer.ə.pɪst/[1]

Etymology

It is formed from therapy and -ist.[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

One who practises therapy in any sense: 1880 in Etymonline, 1886 in the OED and Merriam-Webster.[2][4][3]

Semantic evolution

An earlier word was therapeutist (1816).[2] Since about the 1930s the word has been used especially of practitioners of psychotherapy.[2][4]

Timeline

  • 1816 – therapeutist.[2]
  • 1880 – therapist.[2]
  • 1930s – a psychotherapist.[2]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A person trained in a particular kind of therapy: a speech therapist.
  2. A psychotherapist.

Word family

  • electrotherapist

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ a b Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
Cite this entry

“Therapist.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/therapist. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·