Synonyms

optometrist

American

[op-tom-i-trist] / ɒpˈtɒm ɪ trɪst /

noun

a licensed professional who practices optometry.

optometrist British

/ ɒpˈtɒmɪtrɪst /

noun

Also called (esp Brit): ophthalmic optician. a person who is qualified to examine the eyes and prescribe and supply spectacles and contact lenses Compare optician ophthalmologist

"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

Related Words

See eye doctor.

Etymology

Origin of optometrist

First recorded in 1900–05; optometr(y) + -ist

Compare meaning

How does optometrist compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

eye doctor vs. optometrist

Explanation

An optometrist specializes in testing the eyes and helping correct vision with glasses or contact lenses. If you can’t read anything below the giant E on the doctor's wall chart, don’t worry: an optometrist can help improve how you see. Words starting with "opto-" are related to vision, and an optometrist is trained in finding problems with the eyes and recommending treatment or correction. "Optometry" is the science of studying the eyes or vision, and an optometrist is specialized in this study. Two words that are sometimes confused are optometrist and "optician." While an optometrist is someone who examines and treats the eyes, an "optician" works with the optometrist to make the corrective glasses or contact lenses a patient needs.

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Vocabulary lists containing optometrist

Common Senses: Op, Ops, Opt ("Sight")

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Occupations

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Merci Suárez Changes Gears

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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.

Julian Prosia, a 31-year-old optometrist in Waterloo, Ontario, was living a healthy life when he and his wife started planning for a baby.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

The group brings an optometrist to campus, meaning kids who need an eye exam can get one the same day and go home having gotten a prescription and ordered glasses.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026

Nobody’s screaming at a digital umpire to go to the optometrist.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

The optometrist and part-time photographer said, when the sickness got worse, she wanted to try Xonvea, the only anti-emetic licensed for use in pregnancy to treat nausea and vomiting in the UK.

From BBC • Aug. 10, 2025

We pass a bookstore, closed for the night, whose owner I find coffee for sometimes, and an optometrist, and a cobbler who is willing to trade shoes for beer.

From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse

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