Chiropractic Definition & Meaning

American

British

Cultural

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

chiropractic American [kahy-ruh-prak-tik] / ˌkaɪ rəˈpræk tɪk /

noun

1. a therapeutic system based primarily upon the interactions of the spine and nervous system, the method of treatment usually being to adjust the segments of the spinal column.

2. a chiropractor.

chiropractic British / ˌkaɪrəˈpræktɪk /

noun

1. a system of treating bodily disorders by manipulation of the spine and other parts, based on the belief that the cause is the abnormal functioning of a nerve

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 chiropractic Cultural

1. A system of treating disease and musculoskeletal disorders that involves manipulation of the backbone and other body parts. In chiropractic, disorders of the nerves are considered the cause of illness.

Other Word Forms

• chiropractor noun

Etymology

Origin of chiropractic

1895–1900, chiro- + -practic < Greek praktikós; practical

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Education Department would define the following fields as professional programs: pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary medicine, chiropractic, law, medicine, optometry, osteopathic medicine, podiatry and theology.

From Los Angeles Times

When Betancur opened his chiropractic practice in the early 2000s, a loan servicer advised him to put his federal student loans into a payment pause to get his business off the ground, he said.

From The Wall Street Journal

She is 31, lives in London and works as chiropractic assistant.

From BBC

“If I would have been more intelligently inclined and I would have known something about chiropractic application or practice, I probably would never had had the operation,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

After a “chiropractic adjustment,” as Roberts termed it, late last month, Muncy’s rib finally was back into the correct spot.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.