hospice

American  

[hos-pis] / ˈhɒs pɪs /

noun

• hospices
  plural

1. a house of shelter or rest for pilgrims, strangers, etc., especially one kept by a religious order.

2. Medicine/Medical.

   1. a healthcare facility for the terminally ill that emphasizes pain control and emotional support for the patient and family, typically refraining from taking extraordinary measures to prolong life.

   2. a similar program of care and support for the terminally ill at home or in a nursing home.

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hospice British  

/ ˈhɒspɪs /

noun

1. a nursing home that specializes in caring for the terminally ill

2. Also called: hospitium. archaic a place of shelter for travellers, esp one kept by a monastic order

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• hospices
  plural

Etymology

Origin of hospice

First recorded in 1810–20; from French, from Latin hospitium “hospitable reception, entertainment”; see hospitium

Explanation

If someone has entered into a hospice, his health outlook is likely grim. Hospice care is a program designed to make the process of dying as comfortable as possible for patients and their families. The word hospice comes from the Latin hospitum, meaning "guest house, hospitality." Hospice traditionally meant lodging for travelers, often run by a religious order like a church or monastery. While we most commonly see the word hospice used to describe the particular care provided to people who are dying, the term is not strictly limited to this. A hospice can also be a place that takes care of the sick, not necessarily only the terminally ill.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hospice hospices

A lifelong horse lover was able to spend time with two ponies in the final days of her life after a community appeal helped arrange a surprise hospice visit.

From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026

Does she need the money for medical bills, nursing-home care or hospice care?

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026

The antifraud team has turned up sundry examples of phony hospice providers billing for services that aren’t rendered and enrolling patients without their knowledge.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

In arguing for their release, friends, relatives and former cellmates of the brothers pointed to programs the brothers have spearheaded in prison, including classes for anger management, meditation, and helping inmates in hospice care.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

The hospital social worker told me that they would arrange home health and hospice care, which was sad but dramatically better than what he feared when he was on Alabama's death row.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

“Because Medicare’s hospice daily payment rates are the same regardless of the number of visits delivered, Medicare effectively paid low-visit hospices twice as much per visit as high-visit hospices, on average,” according to the GAO.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026

CMS also imposed a six-month nationwide freeze External link on new Medicare enrollments for hospices and home health agencies starting mid-May.

From Barron's ● Jun. 20, 2026

She said those working with families should be actively encouraged to visit the hospices to see and understand what they can offer.

From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026

One hospice medical director was affiliated with more than 30 hospices, which is suspicious.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 29, 2026

If I could not see the Hospice of St. Bernard on the Pass of Great St. Bernard, I would not see any other hospices called by his name.

From The Princess Passes by A. M. (Alice Muriel) Williamson

Related Words

• clinic
• emergency room
• health service
• infirmary
• nursing home
• sanitarium
• shelter
• ward