Hippocratic
Americanadjective
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of or relating to the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, or his writings or teachings.
The word rheumatology comes from the Greek rheuma and is mentioned in Hippocratic texts.
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of or relating to the set of professional and ethical commitments traditionally made by those entering the practice of medicine, inspired by Hippocrates and his writings.
In the White Coat Ceremony, students recite the Hippocratic oath and are symbolically sworn into the medical profession.
Etymology
Origin of Hippocratic
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.
Doctors take a Hippocratic oath to do good, not harm, and put their patients first.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026
A political version of the Hippocratic oath—first, do no harm—would be a good place to start.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 5, 2026
"I have said it before and I'll say it again: I am not a poisoner... I have always upheld the Hippocratic oath," he stated.
From BBC ● Dec. 18, 2025
But that’s one of bit of Hippocratic wisdom that may be overstated.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2024
But a PIH doctor spoke up, saying that he had signed the Hippocratic Oath to practice medicine ethically, but he didn’t remember signing an oath to do it in a cost-effective way.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
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.
