hospice

American  

[hos-pis] / ˈhɒs pɪs /

noun

• hospices
  plural

1. a house of shelter or rest for pilgrims, strangers, etc., especially one kept by a religious order.

2. Medicine/Medical.

   1. a healthcare facility for the terminally ill that emphasizes pain control and emotional support for the patient and family, typically refraining from taking extraordinary measures to prolong life.

   2. a similar program of care and support for the terminally ill at home or in a nursing home.

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hospice British  

/ ˈhɒspɪs /

noun

1. a nursing home that specializes in caring for the terminally ill

2. Also called: hospitium. archaic a place of shelter for travellers, esp one kept by a monastic order

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• hospices
  plural

Etymology

Origin of hospice

First recorded in 1810–20; from French, from Latin hospitium “hospitable reception, entertainment”; see hospitium

Explanation

If someone has entered into a hospice, his health outlook is likely grim. Hospice care is a program designed to make the process of dying as comfortable as possible for patients and their families. The word hospice comes from the Latin hospitum, meaning "guest house, hospitality." Hospice traditionally meant lodging for travelers, often run by a religious order like a church or monastery. While we most commonly see the word hospice used to describe the particular care provided to people who are dying, the term is not strictly limited to this. A hospice can also be a place that takes care of the sick, not necessarily only the terminally ill.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hospice hospices

The Kendall County Coroner's Office in Illinois said Hastert died at his home Saturday night while under hospice care.

From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026

Naomi Campbell is an urgent hospice care nurse for Marie Curie.

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

Does she need the money for medical bills, nursing-home care or hospice care?

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026

The antifraud team has turned up sundry examples of phony hospice providers billing for services that aren’t rendered and enrolling patients without their knowledge.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

Could he really leave the hospice and go fishing?

From "The Door in the Wall" by Marguerite de Angeli

Over half of the “low-visit hospices” were concentrated in seven states — including California, which had 35% of the total low-visit hospices, according to the GAO.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026

CMS also imposed a six-month nationwide freeze External link on new Medicare enrollments for hospices and home health agencies starting mid-May.

From Barron's ● Jun. 20, 2026

The DoH has now pledged £1.1m in funding for NI's four hospices, and £500,000 for the Children's Hospice.

From BBC ● May 22, 2026

Ditto hundreds of hospices in California, many of which shared the same address and managing directors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 29, 2026

At the beginning of the present century there were fifty provinces with some 500 monasteries and 300 hospices or lesser houses; and the number of Capuchin friars, including lay-brothers, was reckoned at 9500.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 3 "Capefigue" to "Carneades" by Various

Related Words

• clinic
• emergency room
• health service
• infirmary
• nursing home
• sanitarium
• shelter
• ward