medical examiner

American  

noun

1. a physician or other person trained in medicine who is appointed by a city, county, or the like, to perform autopsies on the bodies of persons supposed to have died from unnatural causes and to investigate the cause and circumstances of such deaths.

2. a physician retained by an insurance company, industrial firm, or the like, to give medical examinations to its clients or employees.

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medical examiner British  

noun

1. a medical expert, usually a physician, employed by a state or local government to determine the cause of sudden death in cases of suspected violence, suicide, etc Compare coroner

2. a physician who carries out medical examinations

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Etymology

Origin of medical examiner

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

medical examiner

The medical examiner added that its full report would be available at a later date.

From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026

Graham’s office said the medical examiner in Washington, D.C., attributed the South Carolina Republican’s death to aortic dissection, due to coronary artery disease.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026

Graham died over the weekend due to an "aortic dissection" caused by cardiovascular disease, according to a preliminary finding by the Washington DC medical examiner.

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026

In a statement, his spokesperson said a preliminary report from the medical examiner for the District of Columbia found that the 71-year-old senator died of aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026

The discredited pathologist left Alabama but continues to serve as a practicing medical examiner in Texas.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson