pediatrics
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of pediatrics
Explanation
If you're taking a little kid to the doctor, look for a sign that says pediatrics. Physicians who treat children and babies specialize in pediatrics. Different branches of medicine focus on different groups of people or specific illnesses. While pediatrics is all about young people from birth to their teens, geriatrics, for example, focuses on elderly people. A medical student who specializes in pediatrics will eventually be a pediatrician, or children's doctor. The root of pediatrics is the Greek word for "child," pais.
Vocabulary lists containing pediatrics
National Nurses Week: Medical Branches and Conditions
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iatr (healing); therap (medical treatment)
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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.
The American Academy of Pediatrics now urges earlier referral to a speech-language pathologist rather than the old “wait and see” guidance.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 22, 2026
The debate over recess has grown so confusing that recently the American Academy of Pediatrics stepped in and updated its policy statement.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2026
Dr. Andrew Racine, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said the ruling was a “welcome outcome for children, communities and pediatricians everywhere.”
From Salon • Mar. 18, 2026
The American Academy of Pediatrics and other large medical groups had sued, saying Kennedy's changes violated federal law.
From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026
This perspective in general—the lack of concern among many parents to the explosion of screens and screen time—drove, to some extent, an interesting change in policy in 2011 from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
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.
