veterinarian
Americannoun
-
veterinarians
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of veterinarian
1640–50; < Latin veterīnāri ( us ) veterinary + -an
Explanation
A veterinarian is a doctor for animals. When it’s time for your dog to get his shots, you take him to the veterinarian. A veterinarian is someone who treats, cures, and prevents diseases in animals. If you want to become a veterinarian, start studying hard! Much like a people doctor, a veterinarian must have formal training before practicing — typically 4 years of veterinary medicine coursework after completing an undergraduate degree. The word veterinarian is often shortened to “vet.” You might look at your dog and say, “Time to go to the vet!”
Vocabulary lists containing veterinarian
Power Suffix: -arian
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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:
When Dominika Mikitiuk, a veterinarian visiting from eastern Poland, saw the bridge and heard the $314 million price tag, the 30-year-old had one question: “Just for that?”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
But an insurance policy for your pet doesn’t simply wipe those costs away, noted Quammen, a practicing veterinarian.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
Rachel Burrow, a veterinarian and lecturer at the University of Liverpool, helped with both Masaya's CT scan and the subsequent operation.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 8, 2026
The birds, in turn, are accustomed to floodlights for the "penguin parade" tourist attraction, as well as being periodically handled by veterinarian scientists for monitoring of their health.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
Despite our vigilance, Dr. Atal, the zoo veterinarian, could tell by the number of animals with digestive disturbances which had been the busy days at the zoo.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
Washington would need to mobilize ranchers, geneticists, veterinarians, universities and the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
Humans in close contact with infected wildlife, such as wildlife carers and veterinarians, can contract H5N1.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 24, 2026
“Despite the significant efforts from specialists to administer care, medical treatment and extensive testing, veterinarians did not identify one definitive cause for her poor condition,” the center said on its website.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
The analysts said that the veterinarians they surveyed filled 11% of prescriptions through Chewy, with companies like PetMed and Vetsource accounting for a smaller share.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
The balance is delicate and government veterinarians have found that repeated small doses can gradually deplete an animal’s supply of the protective enzyme cholinesterase, so that without warning a minute additional dose will cause poisoning.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
