Top 100 Medical Terms You Should Know

Learn essential medical terminology for nursing, TEAS, anatomy, healthcare careers, and real-world understanding.

Why These Medical Terms Matter

Medical terminology helps you understand the language of healthcare. Once you recognize common terms, patient care concepts, exam questions, chart notes, and anatomy topics become easier to understand.

The goal is not just to memorize 100 words. The goal is to recognize patterns.

What to notice first:

Break the word into parts. Look for prefixes, suffixes, and root words before trying to memorize the entire term.

How to Use This List

Read each term, look for the word parts, then ask yourself what the word is pointing to.

For a deeper breakdown, review the Medical Terminology Guide.

Top 100 Medical Terms

1. Bradycardia: Slow heart rate. Notice: Brady means slow.
2. Tachycardia: Fast heart rate. Notice: Tachy means fast.
3. Hypertension: High blood pressure. Notice: Hyper means high.
4. Hypotension: Low blood pressure. Notice: Hypo means low.
5. Hyperglycemia: High blood sugar.
6. Hypoglycemia: Low blood sugar.
7. Arrhythmia: Irregular heart rhythm.
8. Myocardial infarction: Heart attack caused by loss of blood flow to heart tissue.
9. Ischemia: Reduced blood flow to tissue.
10. Infarction: Tissue death caused by lack of blood supply.
11. Dyspnea: Difficulty breathing.
12. Apnea: Absence of breathing.
13. Hypoxia: Low oxygen level in body tissues.
14. Cyanosis: Bluish skin color often related to low oxygen.
15. Tachypnea: Fast breathing.
16. Bradypnea: Slow breathing.
17. Pneumonia: Infection or inflammation of the lungs.
18. Pulmonary: Related to the lungs.
19. Auscultation: Listening to body sounds, often with a stethoscope.
20. Respiration: Breathing process.
21. Edema: Swelling caused by fluid buildup.
22. Hematuria: Blood in the urine.
23. Anemia: Low red blood cells or low hemoglobin.
24. Leukocytosis: High white blood cell count.
25. Leukopenia: Low white blood cell count.
26. Thrombosis: Formation of a blood clot.
27. Embolism: Blockage caused by a traveling clot or material.
28. Hemorrhage: Bleeding.
29. Hematoma: Collection of blood outside a blood vessel.
30. Sepsis: Serious body-wide response to infection.
31. Dermatitis: Skin inflammation. Notice: Derm means skin, -itis means inflammation.
32. Gastritis: Stomach inflammation.
33. Arthritis: Joint inflammation.
34. Tendinitis: Tendon inflammation.
35. Nephritis: Kidney inflammation.
36. Hepatitis: Liver inflammation.
37. Otitis: Ear inflammation or infection.
38. Sinusitis: Sinus inflammation.
39. Bronchitis: Bronchial tube inflammation.
40. Colitis: Colon inflammation.
41. Cardiology: Study of the heart.
42. Neurology: Study of the nervous system.
43. Nephrology: Study of the kidneys.
44. Oncology: Study of cancer.
45. Dermatology: Study of the skin.
46. Hematology: Study of blood.
47. Pulmonology: Study of the lungs.
48. Gastroenterology: Study of the digestive system.
49. Endocrinology: Study of hormones and endocrine glands.
50. Radiology: Use of imaging to diagnose or treat conditions.
51. Myalgia: Muscle pain.
52. Neuralgia: Nerve pain.
53. Arthralgia: Joint pain.
54. Cephalalgia: Headache.
55. Dysuria: Painful or difficult urination.
56. Dysphagia: Difficulty swallowing.
57. Dysrhythmia: Abnormal rhythm, often referring to heart rhythm.
58. Syncope: Fainting or temporary loss of consciousness.
59. Vertigo: Spinning sensation or dizziness.
60. Fatigue: Extreme tiredness or lack of energy.
61. Hepatomegaly: Enlarged liver. Notice: -megaly means enlargement.
62. Cardiomegaly: Enlarged heart.
63. Splenomegaly: Enlarged spleen.
64. Atrophy: Shrinking or wasting away of tissue.
65. Hypertrophy: Enlargement or growth of tissue or muscle.
66. Necrosis: Tissue death.
67. Lesion: Abnormal tissue or damaged area.
68. Tumor: Abnormal growth of tissue.
69. Benign: Non-cancerous.
70. Malignant: Cancerous or harmful.
71. Appendectomy: Surgical removal of the appendix.
72. Tonsillectomy: Surgical removal of the tonsils.
73. Mastectomy: Surgical removal of breast tissue.
74. Hysterectomy: Surgical removal of the uterus.
75. Biopsy: Removal of tissue for examination.
76. Endoscopy: Visual examination inside the body using a scope.
77. Colonoscopy: Visual examination of the colon.
78. Intubation: Inserting a tube, often into the airway.
79. Catheterization: Inserting a catheter into the body.
80. Incision: Surgical cut.
81. Diagnosis: Identification of a condition or disease.
82. Prognosis: Expected outcome of a condition.
83. Acute: Sudden or short-term.
84. Chronic: Long-term or ongoing.
85. Primary: First or main.
86. Secondary: Occurring after or because of something else.
87. Idiopathic: Unknown cause.
88. Contraindication: Reason a treatment should not be used.
89. Therapeutic: Related to treatment or healing.
90. Prophylaxis: Prevention of disease.
91. Homeostasis: Body’s ability to maintain internal balance.
92. Metabolism: Chemical processes that maintain life.
93. Electrolyte: Mineral that helps regulate body functions, such as sodium or potassium.
94. Dehydration: Loss of too much body fluid.
95. Febrile: Having a fever.
96. Afebrile: Without fever.
97. Palpation: Examining by touch.
98. Perfusion: Blood flow through tissue.
99. Saturation: Amount of oxygen carried in the blood, often referring to SpO2.
100. Triage: Sorting patients by urgency of need.

What to Notice First

Many medical terms become easier when you recognize the repeated word parts.

Practice These Terms

Reading the list helps, but practice is what makes the terms stick.

Keep Learning

Medical terminology connects to anatomy, nursing, lab values, vital signs, and EKG basics.

Start Medical Terminology Practice

For learning purposes only. MedSkillBuilder is designed to support study, practice, and basic healthcare learning.