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

The county's medical examiner said the body was "severely decomposed" and deferred on making a ruling on how she died pending the death investigation.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

It was ruled a suicide by the New York medical examiner.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

The toddler was identified by the Los Angeles County medical examiner as Myrah Hunter.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026

The city’s medical examiner later attributed both deaths to drownings, and the police found no evidence of criminality.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

When Arthur Devlin himself stepped off the first passenger car with Lester Burton and the county medical examiner in tow, they knew the quarantine was over.

From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool