obstetrician

American  

[ob-sti-trish-uhn] / ˌɒb stɪˈtrɪʃ ən /

noun

obstetricians plural

1. a physician who specializes in obstetrics. OB, ob

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obstetrician British  

/ ˌɒbstɪˈtrɪʃən /

noun

1. a physician who specializes in obstetrics

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• obstetricians
  plural

Etymology

Origin of obstetrician

First recorded in 1820–30; from Latin obstetrīci(a) “midwifery” (noun use of feminine of obstetrīcius ) + -an; see origin at obstetric

Explanation

If you were born in the United States, probably the first doctor you ever laid eyes on was an obstetrician, a medical doctor who delivers babies. In many parts of the world, it’s more likely that a midwife would welcome you into the world. But even though an obstetrician is a medical doctor and can be male or female, the name goes back to the Latin word for midwife, obstetrix, the woman who "stands in front [of the woman having the baby]." Obstetricians are often called “O.B.,” for short, and an O.B. who also treats diseases of the female reproductive system is called an “O.B.-G.Y.N.,” “obstetrician-gynecologist.”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

obstetrician obstetricians

Tributes from across the world have been paid to a pioneering obstetrician and gynaecological surgeon who has died aged 81, his son has said.

From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026

Yet because of their uncommon family structure, it wasn’t until just minutes before the obstetrician cut into her belly that the father of her child got permission to go with her into the operating room.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 25, 2026

Throughout her first pregnancy, Wang Yifan had lots of questions, which she usually put to renowned obstetrician Duan Tao -- or rather, an AI clone of the top Shanghai-based doctor.

From Barron's ● Mar. 3, 2026

Middle-aged women who were suffering from depression were often prescribed anti-depressants or anti-anxiety medicine without further discussion or exploration, said Dr. Anna Barbieri, an obstetrician gynecologist and certified menopause practitioner in New York City.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 13, 2026

Wait six months, the obstetrician recommended; let your body recover.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng

But that stuff doesn’t make her a fertility doctor, or even a scientist who has contributed meaningfully to the evidence base that obstetricians like me use in our work.

From Slate ● Apr. 16, 2026

Meanwhile professional societies representing obstetricians continue to say pregnant women should use acetaminophen to treat pain and fever.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 10, 2026

No list of exceptions can encompass every situation and risk a patient might face, obstetricians said.

From Salon ● Feb. 21, 2025

Dr McCormack said senior paediatricians had called a "very unusual" 07:30 meeting with obstetricians and senior neonatal nursing staff in response to the triplet deaths.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2024

No obstetricians, no anesthesiologists, no fancy monitoring devices.

From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini