hospital
Americannoun
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hospitals
plural
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an institution in which sick or injured people are given medical or surgical treatment.
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a similar establishment for the care of animals.
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a repair shop for specific portable objects: doll hospital.
violin hospital;
doll hospital.
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British. an institution supported by charity or taxes for people in need of care, as a children's home or nursing home.
noun
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an institution for the medical, surgical, obstetric, or psychiatric care and treatment of patients
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(modifier) having the function of a hospital
a hospital ship
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a repair shop for something specified
a dolls' hospital
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archaic a charitable home, hospice, or school
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of hospital
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English (h)ospital, “lodging for pilgrims and travelers, hostel,” Old French (h)ospital, from Medieval Latin hospitāle “guesthouse, inn,” noun use of neuter of Latin hospitālis “hospitable,” equivalent to hospit- stem of hospes “guest, visitor, host” + -ālis -al 1 ( def. ); see also hospitium
Explanation
A hospital is the place to go when you're very sick or injured in a way that requires immediate treatment. If you trip over your shoelaces and break your arm, you'll need to go to the hospital. People having surgery or delivering a baby usually go to a hospital, and if you suspect you have food poisoning, you might visit the emergency room of a hospital. Hospitals are staffed by doctors and nurses, as well as office workers, cleaners, and aides of various kinds. The earliest hospitals were shelters or needy people, or hostels for travelers, and the word comes from the Late Latin hospitale, "guest house or inn."
Vocabulary lists containing hospital
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.
See Examples For:
Emergency services were at the scene and medical helicopters were deployed to take victims with serious injuries to a specialised hospital.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
The team whisked him to hospital in the eastern city of Kharkiv.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
Last month, committee members had expressed concern that Phone First was being cut just as hospital EDs prepared to deal with increased winter pressures.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
In the first season of the hit TV series “The Pitt,” the chief E.R. doctor played by Noah Wyle argues with a hospital administrator about boarding, and he blames her for not hiring enough staff.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
After supper Mrs. Sasaki brought Mitsue and Eiji to the hospital.
From "Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes" by Eleanor Coerr
Before these changes, the E.R. of one of Geisinger’s hospitals in Scranton, Pa., “just looked busy all the time,” said Geisinger Chief Medical Officer Jason Mitchell, who said boarding hours are down 40%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
This decent sequel works very hard to make us feel sad about its mass deaths; the only blood Yamazaki is willing to show is when the injured pack the hospitals.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
The South Eastern Trust said its Phone First service at both the Lagan Valley and Downe hospitals "will remain unchanged".
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
Geisinger, which operates 10 hospitals in Pennsylvania, made changes starting in early 2025 to reduce boarding.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
Then they asked the Carabinieri, the hospitals, and the orphanages.
From "The Thief Lord" by Cornelia Funke
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