optometry

American  

[op-tom-i-tree] / ɒpˈtɒm ɪ tri /

noun

1. the practice or profession of examining the eyes, by means of suitable instruments or appliances, for defects in vision and eye disorders in order to prescribe corrective lenses or other appropriate treatment.

---

optometry British  

/ ˌɒptəˈmɛtrɪk, ɒpˈtɒmɪtrɪ /

noun

1. the science or practice of testing visual acuity and prescribing corrective lenses

---

Other Word Forms

• optometric adjective
• optometrical adjective

Etymology

Origin of optometry

First recorded in 1890–95; opto- + -metry

Example Sentences

The Education Department would define the following fields as professional programs: pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary medicine, chiropractic, law, medicine, optometry, osteopathic medicine, podiatry and theology.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 26, 2025

Chi-Ho To, an optometry researcher, at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University has a similar concern – what if the vision correction went wrong or was delayed slightly while he was, say, performing surgery on someone?

From BBC • Jul. 10, 2025

She found out about her eye during a routine optometry appointment.

From Slate • Jan. 27, 2024

Four others that are adjacent to one another — the Rantisi children’s hospital, Al-Nasr Hospital, and two other medical centers specializing in optometry and psychiatry — were evacuated Friday.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 12, 2023

“Her father owns the optometry school where Billy was going. He also owns six offices around our part of the state. He flies his own plane and has a summer place up on Lake George.”

From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut