internist

American

[in-tur-nist, in-tur-nist] / ˈɪn tɜr nɪst, ɪnˈtɜr nɪst /

noun

a physician specializing in the diagnosis and nonsurgical treatment of diseases, especially of adults.

internist British

/ ɪnˈtɜːnɪst, ˈɪntɜːnɪst /

noun

a physician who specializes in internal medicine

"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 internist

An Americanism dating back to 1900–05; intern(al medicine) + -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.

“Older patients need to change their mindset,” said Adam Rosenbluth, a New York City-based internist and cardiologist.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 7, 2026

Trump has nominated Dr. David Weldon an internist and former GOP congressman from Florida to head the CDC.

From Salon • Nov. 25, 2024

Pieter Cohen, a Harvard Medical School professor and internist at the Cambridge Health Alliance, says he might have been “wholeheartedly supportive” of Makary’s nomination—if it had occurred before the pandemic.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 25, 2024

Jyotika Wali, an internist, described the incident as “terrorizing” and said now even grocery trips leave her filled with “fear of what may happen.”

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 29, 2023

“He’s an internist, not a cardiologist. He should get an EKG.”

From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan

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