allergist

American  

[al-er-jist] / ˈæl ər dʒɪst /

noun

1. a physician specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of allergies.

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allergist British  

/ ˈælədʒɪst /

noun

1. a physician skilled in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases or conditions caused by allergy

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Etymology

Origin of allergist

First recorded in 1930–35; allerg(y) + -ist

Explanation

An allergist is a doctor whose specialty is allergies. If you suspect that your cat is making you sneeze uncontrollably, you might want to see an allergist. Allergists can diagnose allergies, perform tests to find out exactly what patients are allergic to, and prescribe medication to treat the symptoms of those allergies. It takes extra years of study to specialize in this field and become an allergist. The word comes from allergy, by way of the German Allergie, coined by an Austrian doctor from the Greek roots allos, "other, different, or strange," and ergon, "activity."

Example Sentences

I tried two different biologic drugs, shots that required me to see an allergist every few weeks.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026

“What I was surprised by was the magnitude of the results,” said Dr. David Hill, an attending allergist at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and senior author of the study.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 20, 2025

“There’s nothing I can afford,” said Dr. Barba, an allergist who has been working 100 hours overtime every month to save up a nest egg.

From New York Times • Apr. 21, 2024

And responding to Witherspoon's post, Dr Zachary Rubin - a paediatric allergist based in Illinois - said simply: "This is not a big deal."

From BBC • Jan. 22, 2024

After that there’s a single visit to an allergist and then visits to three different immunologists.

From "Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon