medical

American  

[med-i-kuhl] / ˈmɛd ɪ kəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to the science or practice of medicine.

   medical history; medical treatment.

2. curative; medicinal; therapeutic.

   medical properties.

3. pertaining to or requiring treatment by other than surgical means.

4. pertaining to or giving evidence of the state of one's health.

   a medical discharge from the army; a medical examination.

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noun

medicals plural

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

medical British  

/ ˈmɛdɪkəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to the science of medicine or to the treatment of patients by drugs, etc, as opposed to surgery

2. a less common word for medicinal

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noun

1. informal a medical examination

Usage

What does medical mean? Medical describes something related to the science or practice of medicine, as in My doctor’s medical experience with cancer is extensive. Medical also describes something that provides a cure or therapy for an illness or disease, as in Garlic has medical properties that have been widely studied. Example: He has to receive medical treatment one way or another.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• antimedical
  adjective
• nonmedical
  adjective
• pseudomedical
  adjective
• quasi-medical
  adjective
• unmedical
  adjective
• antimedically
  adverb
• medically
  adverb
• nonmedically
  adverb
• pseudomedically
  adverb
• quasi-medically
  adverb
• unmedically
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• medicals
  plural

Etymology

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 -al ¹

Explanation

Medical can describe the practice of medicine, or a type of illness or injury. If bright red spots have erupted all over your arms, you probably have some sort of medical condition, and it would be wise for you to visit a doctor. Medical comes from the Latin word mederi, meaning "to heal," which is exactly what medical professionals such as doctors and nurses are trained to do. When you arrive at your doctor's office or local emergency room complaining of various medical conditions ranging from strep throat to a sprained wrist, doctors provide the necessary medical care.

Example Sentences

VA Police focused on the third of the campus south of Wilshire Boulevard where the VA Medical Center rose.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 26, 2026

But there is little evidence to suggest teenagers have turned away from social media as a consequence, a team of Australia-based researchers found in a peer-reviewed study published by the British Medical Journal.

From Barron's • Jun. 24, 2026

Regulators like the General Medical Council and the Nursing and Midwifery Council have never been held accountable for failing to step in and protect patients when families have reported egregious conduct to them.

From BBC • Jun. 24, 2026

To do that, Kuchipudi partnered with Harvard Medical School researcher Lauren E. Pepi, Ph.D., whose expertise is in glycomics, the comprehensive study of glycan structures.

From Science Daily • Jun. 23, 2026

One teenage boy, Amcher, had been named for the first thing his parents saw upon reaching the hospital: the sign for Albany Medical Center Hospital Emergency Room.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt

Related Words

• medicinal
• therapeutic