definitions

medical

[ med-i-kuh l ]
/ ˈmɛd ɪ kəl /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR medical ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

of or relating to the science or practice of medicine: medical history; medical treatment.
curative; medicinal; therapeutic: medical properties.
pertaining to or requiring treatment by other than surgical means.
pertaining to or giving evidence of the state of one's health: a medical discharge from the army; a medical examination.

noun

something done or received in regard to the state of one's health, as a medical examination.

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RELATED WORDS

pharmaceutical, therapeutic, preventive, medicinal, tonic, prophylactic, cathartic, sedative, restorative, curative, narcotic, disinfectant, healing, corrective, aesculapian, salutary, alleviating, pathological, peptic, iatric

Nearby words

mediatrix, medibank, medic, medicable, medicaid, medical, medical audit, medical certificate, medical diathermy, medical dictionary, medical examination

Origin of medical

1640–50; < Medieval Latin medicālis, equivalent to Latin medic(us) medical (adj.), physician (noun) (derivative of medērī to heal; see -ic) + -ālis -al1

Related forms

Definition for medical (2 of 2)

medical dictionary

noun

a specialized dictionary covering terms used in the health professions by doctors, nurses, and others involved in allied health care services. A dictionary with authoritative spellings and definitions is a particularly crucial resource in medicine, where a misspelling or misunderstanding can have unfortunate consequences for people under care. Print dictionaries in this field may be sorted alphabetically or may be categorized according to medical specializations or by the various systems in the body, as the immune system and the respiratory system. The online Medical Dictionary on Dictionary.com allows alphabetical browsing in the combined electronic versions of more than one authoritative medical reference, insuring access to correct spellings, as well as immediate, direct access to a known search term typed into the search box on the site: A medical dictionary reveals that large numbers of medical terms are formed from the same Latin and Greek parts combined and recombined.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for medical

British Dictionary definitions for medical

medical

/ (ˈmɛdɪkəl) /

adjective

of or relating to the science of medicine or to the treatment of patients by drugs, etc, as opposed to surgery
a less common word for medicinal

noun

informal a medical examination

Derived Forms

medically, adverb

Word Origin for medical

C17: from Medieval Latin medicālis, from Latin medicus physician, surgeon, from medērī to heal
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

Medicine definitions for medical

medical

[ mĕd′ĭ-kəl ]

adj.

Of, relating to, or characterizing the study or practice of medicine.
Requiring treatment by medicine.

n.

A thorough physical examination.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.