1. to treat or regard (a normal condition or behavior) as a disease or disorder
Usage: often used critically to describe the medicalization of normal human experiences
2. to identify or classify as pathological; to determine the nature of a disease in
Usage: medical/technical usage

Examples

• Critics argue that modern psychology tends to pathologize shyness and introversion.
• The study examined how society pathologizes grief that lasts longer than a few months.
• Doctors must be careful not to pathologize normal developmental variations in children.
• The pharmaceutical industry has been accused of pathologizing everyday sadness to sell antidepressants.
• Researchers pathologized the condition by identifying its underlying biological mechanisms.
• Mental health professionals should avoid pathologizing cultural or religious practices they don't understand.