physician
Americannoun
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a person who is legally qualified to practice medicine; doctor of medicine.
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a person engaged in general medical practice, as distinguished from one specializing in surgery.
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a person who is skilled in the art of healing.
noun
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a person legally qualified to practise medicine, esp one specializing in areas of treatment other than surgery; doctor of medicine
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archaic any person who treats diseases; healer
Other Word Forms
- physicianly adjective
Etymology
Origin of physician
1175–1225; physic + -ian ( -ician ); replacing Middle English fisicien < Old French
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.
But then she chose pre-med, becoming a physician assistant.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
The approach applies to items marketed and labeled as dietary supplements and provided to insurance beneficiaries under the direction of a physician.
From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026
David, whose name I’ve changed because he is still serving, is a lieutenant colonel and physician in the Army Reserve.
From Slate • Apr. 1, 2026
From admission to graduation, and through residency training and medical licensing, physician standards are comprehensive, demanding and as strong as ever.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026
Meanwhile, just north of Richmond Hill, near present-day Wall Street, Hamilton was boarding a small skiff with two oarsmen, his physician, Dr. David Hosack, and his own loyal associate Nathaniel Pendleton.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
