nuclear medicine

American

[noo-klee-er med-uh-sin, nyoo-] / ˈnu kli ər ˈmɛd ə sɪn, ˈnju- /

noun

diagnostic and therapeutic medical techniques using radionuclides or radioisotopes.

nuclear medicine British

noun

the branch of medicine concerned with the use of radionuclides in the diagnosis and treatment of disease

"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

Pronunciation

See nuclear ( def. ).

Etymology

Origin of nuclear medicine

First recorded in 1950–55

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:

nuclear medicine

My 19-year-old decided to go into nuclear medicine, which is using nuclear isotopes to treat cancer.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 26, 2026

"Astatine-211's availability remains the biggest hurdle to harnessing its potential to transform the future of nuclear medicine," Yennello said.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 11, 2025

Schillaci, a physician with a Ph.D. in nuclear medicine, published the papers between 2018 and 2022 while working in the faculty of medicine of the University of Rome Tor Vergata.

From Science Magazine ● Sep. 13, 2023

At the time, Dr. Stafford L. Warren, a Manhattan Project physician specializing in nuclear medicine, reported to Lt.

From New York Times ● Jul. 20, 2023

Building a nuclear medicine reactor in north Wales would allow the production of nuclear medicines such as radioisotopes for the UK, and potentially beyond, as well as create jobs.

From BBC ● Jan. 9, 2023

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