audiologist

American  

[aw-dee-ol-uh-jist] / ˌɔ diˈɒl ə dʒɪst /

noun

1. a specialist in the treatment of hearing disorders, including evaluation of hearing function and rehabilitation of patients with hearing impairments.

   If your toddler keeps removing the hearing aid, tell your audiologist, as it may be overamplifying.

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Etymology

Origin of audiologist

First recorded in 1940–45; audio- ( def. ) + -log(y) ( def. ) + -ist ( def. )

Explanation

If you’re unable to hear people speaking at normal volume, or hear ringing in your ears, you may want to see an audiologist: a specialist who treats hearing disorders and other problems, like balance issues, related to the ears. Using advanced diagnostic tools, audiologists evaluate peoples' auditory health. They test hearing ability to diagnose potential hearing loss. They fit and program corrective hearing aids, and they help manage tinnitus (ringing in the ears). Some audiologists specialize in the inner ear structures that control balance, running tests to figure out why someone might be feeling dizzy or unsteady. Audiologists are licensed professionals, most of whom have earned a Doctor of Audiology degree, but they are not medical doctors.

Example Sentences

Haecker, 77, an audiologist, told us he takes the train every six weeks, splitting time between Santa Fe and New York.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 9, 2025

The cause of Sophie's APD diagnosis is unknown, but her audiologist believes the overuse of noise-cancelling headphones, which Sophie wears for up to five hours a day, could have a part to play.

From BBC • Feb. 15, 2025

As the audiologist walked me through the catalog of options for the type of hearing aid I needed, my stomach tightened.

From Slate • Oct. 20, 2024

The audiologist noted that I had missed several.

From Salon • Sep. 30, 2024

“Hearing is fundamental to healthy aging,” says Nicholas Reed, an audiologist and epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins, who worked with Lin on the cognitive-decline study.

From Scientific American • Aug. 18, 2023