outpatient

American  

[out-pey-shuhnt] / ˈaʊtˌpeɪ ʃənt /

Or out-patient

noun

1. a patient who receives treatment at a hospital, as in an emergency room or clinic, but is not hospitalized.

---

outpatient British  

/ ˈaʊtˌpeɪʃənt /

noun

1. a nonresident hospital patient Compare inpatient

---

Usage

What does outpatient mean? Outpatient is commonly used as an adjective to describe treatment that does not require a patient to stay overnight at a hospital or other care facility—they come and leave on the same day. Outpatient is used in contrast with the term inpatient, which describes treatment that requires a patient to be admitted for at least one night. The terms are especially used in phrases like outpatient procedure (after which the patient can leave, instead of staying for further observation or treatment), inpatient treatment (which requires the patient to stay overnight at the hospital), and inpatient room (where such patients stay). Outpatient and inpatient are typically used in the context of hospitals, though inpatient can also refer to a patient who is admitted overnight at a mental health facility or other kind of clinic. Both terms can also be used as nouns referring to such patients. Example: I have an outpatient procedure scheduled for tomorrow morning, so I should be back home by the afternoon.

Etymology

Origin of outpatient

First recorded in 1705–15; out- + patient

Example Sentences

"Outpatient waits over four years are down 29% - that's 29,500 patients - and treatment waits down 41% - that's 8,300 patients," a spokesperson said.

From BBC • Nov. 18, 2025

For addresses, they used data on mental health visits aggregated at the ZIP code level from Texas Hospital Outpatient Public Use Data Files from 2014 to mid-2019.

From Science Daily • Feb. 26, 2024

There is, however, one intervention that appears to be gaining a foothold: Intensive Outpatient Programs, or IOPs.

From Slate • Oct. 26, 2023

Outpatient care could involve therapy, nutrition counseling, at-home treatment called family-based treatment, or a combination of these things.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 10, 2023

She began the day in the Outpatient Department, and a poor woman came with a child that had bitten its tongue.

From The Christian A Story by Caine, Hall, Sir

Related Words

• case
• inmate
• subject
• sufferer
• victim