dentist

American

[den-tist] / ˈdɛn tɪst /

noun

a person whose profession is dentistry.

dentist British

/ ˈdɛntɪst /

noun

a person qualified to practise dentistry

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of dentist

1750–60; < French dentiste, equivalent to dent tooth ( dent ² ) + -iste -ist

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.

Ensieh, a dentist in the capital, said every day she is "losing more hope".

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

"We're caught between three mad powers, and war is terrifying," the 46-year-old dentist told AFP journalists outside Iran.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

Det Supt Bell said: "We are told that if you are that dentist performing that procedure you are likely to recognise your own work, which would hopefully enable us to identify who this person is."

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

Gurule now makes $35 an hour as a pediatric dental assistant, and she hopes to become a dentist.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 21, 2026

I kept my eyes open for a sign that said dentist.

From "Louisiana's Way Home" by Kate DiCamillo

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023