ambulatory

American  

[am-byuh-luh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee] / ˈæm byə ləˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or capable of walking.

   an ambulatory exploration of the countryside.

2. adapted for walking, as the limbs of many animals.

3. moving about or from place to place; not stationary.

   an ambulatory tribe.

4. Medicine/Medical. Also

   1. not confined to bed; able or strong enough to walk.

      an ambulatory patient.

   2. serving patients who are able to walk.

      an ambulatory care center.

5. Law. not fixed; alterable or revocable.

   ambulatory will.

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noun

plural

ambulatories

1. Also called deambulatory.  Architecture.

   1. an aisle surrounding the end of the choir or chancel of a church.

   2. the covered walk of a cloister.

ambulatory British  

/ ˈæmbjʊlətərɪ /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or designed for walking

2. changing position; not fixed

3. Also: ambulant.  able to walk

4. law (esp of a will) capable of being altered or revoked

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noun

1. architect

   1. an aisle running around the east end of a church, esp one that passes behind the sanctuary

   2. a place for walking, such as an aisle or a cloister

Other Word Forms

• ambulatorily adverb
• nonambulatory adjective

Etymology

Origin of ambulatory

1615–25; < Latin ambulātōrius, equivalent to ambulā-, stem of ambulāre ( amble ) + -tōrius -tory ¹ ( def. )

Explanation

An ambulatory surgery is the kind of procedure where the patient walks in and walks out. Ambulatory means able to walk, or related to walking. To remember ambulatory, think of ambulance, which essentially means a walking hospital. (Its meaning derives from the time when it was pulled by horses, which would be walking.) You can also think of the old fashioned word for baby carriage, perambulator (it's been shorted to "pram") which means a carriage you push by walking.

Example Sentences

The Western Trust said many patients can be treated in its ambulatory surgical patient unit the same day or the next day, with about 2.5 patients being transferred to Derry a day for surgery.

From BBC • Jan. 14, 2026

Hospitals and ambulatory care providers support employment in transportation companies, food vendors, educational programs, janitorial services, construction firms, and biomedical suppliers.

From Barron's • Dec. 5, 2025

Clinics must have admitting privileges at a hospital within 15 miles and comply with state licensure rules and the rules governing ambulatory surgical centers.

From Slate • Jun. 2, 2025

“Most of these ambulatory cases are presenting with usual cough-and-cold symptoms, so it’s important for everyone to test themselves if they develop these types of symptoms.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2024

This Ptolemaic Egypt is an exquisite corpse, a dead polity that is somehow still ambulatory, only waiting for a stake to be put through its heart by the legions of Augustus.

From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro