field hospital

American

noun

Military.

an organization of medical personnel with medical equipment for establishing a temporary hospital at isolated posts or in the field to support ground troops in combat.

field hospital British

noun

a temporary hospital set up near a battlefield equipped to provide remedial surgery and post-operative care

"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 field hospital

First recorded in 1695–1705

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 federal government said Thursday it had reached a deal to erect a field hospital in Kenya to quarantine and treat Americans exposed to the virus, rather than flying them home for care.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026

A Kenyan judge halted construction and operations of a tented U.S. field hospital in the country.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026

The organisations say that they collectively support or implement more than half of all food assistance in Gaza, 60 per cent of field hospital operations and all inpatient treatment for children suffering severe acute malnutrition.

From Barron's • Feb. 24, 2026

A kind driver took him to a field hospital for the International Community of the Red Cross.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 19, 2025

While Allen was recovering in the field hospital, his platoon leader came in to award him a Purple Heart.

From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge

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