National Health Service

American

[nash-uh-nl helth sur-vis, nash-nuhl] / ˈnæʃ ə nl ˈhɛlθ ˌsɜr vɪs, ˈnæʃ nəl /

noun

Great Britain’s publicly funded network of healthcare systems: often used in the United Kingdom as an umbrella term that also includes the Health and Social Care of Northern Ireland. NHS

National Health Service British

noun

Abbreviation: NHS. (in Britain) the system of national medical services since 1948, financed mainly by taxation

"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 National Health Service

First recorded in 1880–85 as a recommendation; established in 1946

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.

I am truly sorry you will no longer be sat at the Cabinet table helping to transform our National Health Service.

From BBC • May 14, 2026

To avoid this outcome, the United Kingdom’s National Health Service discourages anyone over 10 years of age from consuming more than 30 grams of added sugars a day.

From Slate • Mar. 5, 2026

The three-year trial evaluated more than 142,000 patients between the ages of 50 and 77 within the United Kingdom’s National Health Service.

From Barron's • Feb. 20, 2026

Researchers warn that people who cannot afford private care may struggle to receive effective treatment through the National Health Service.

From Science Daily • Jan. 4, 2026

‘I read some interesting figures yesterday. If everyone in Britain gave up smoking, the National Health Service would save—’ ‘Ted!’

From "The London Eye Mystery" by Siobhan Dowd

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