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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of physician
1175–1225; physic + -ian ( see -ician); replacing Middle English fisicien < Old French
Explanation
A physician is a doctor. If you wake up and your eyes are red, your skin is yellow, and your tongue is swollen, find a physician, soon! When we use the word physician, we typically mean a doctor that practices general healing, as opposed to a surgeon. Physician is a very old word, coming from both Greek and Latin roots for physic, meaning "natural science and medicine."
Vocabulary lists containing physician
Occupations
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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.
See Examples For:
Besigye, a former personal physician to Museveni, has been in the government's crosshairs since he joined the opposition more than 25 years ago.
From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026
His wife demanded that Besigye be allowed to receive treatment from his personal physician at a private clinic rather than at a government health facility.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
That’s what happened to one physician couple who adviser Rob Schultz, of Encino, Calif., helped do a conversion for after they finished residency and were moving abroad for a year to do a medical mission.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
Lin and Ramachandran advise patients to speak with a physician before beginning a GLP-1 medication and to remain under medical supervision while using it.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026
She had many wealthy patrons here in New York—Mr. Livermore, a wealthy banker, and a Dr. Gray, a well-known homeopathic physician.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
The physicians and health experts behind the report argue that lowering sodium may have a greater effect when it is paired with increased potassium intake.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 31, 2026
Since the theory was introduced, some physicians, including pediatricians, have treated the pattern as a meaningful warning sign that might be prevented or modified through diet and lifestyle changes.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 31, 2026
It’s pretty indicative of the breakdown of trust between physicians and families.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
They need organizations that empower physicians to improve lives.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Today, emergency room physicians would save James Garfield.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
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.
