emergency medical technician

American

[ih-mur-juhn-see med-i-kuhl tek-nish-uhn] / ɪˈmɜr dʒən si ˈmɛd ɪ kəl tɛkˌnɪʃ ən /

noun

a person who is specially trained and certified to give emergency medical care to patients before they reach a healthcare facility. EMT

emergency medical technician British

noun

EMT. a member of the emergency services who is trained to provide basic emergency medical care before a patient is taken to a hospital

"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

Etymology

Origin of emergency medical technician

First recorded in 1950–55

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 neighbor Jody Taylor, a former emergency medical technician who witnessed the incident, raised questions about the dangers of engaging the teen in such a chase.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

They also struggled to dispatch vehicles because they couldn’t use GPS, said Matt Zavadsky, an emergency medical technician in Fort Worth, Texas.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

Born in Pasco, he graduated from Kentlake High School before receiving an emergency medical technician certification, the State Patrol said in a news release.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 5, 2024

Soon after the 22nd anniversary of the attacks, emergency medical technician Hilda Vannata died on 20 September from cancer, while retired firefighter Robert Fulco died of pulmonary fibrosis on 23 September, according to city officials.

From BBC • Sep. 25, 2023

Brian Eno was an intelligent, pear-shaped former emergency medical technician.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover

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