outpatient

Or out-pa·tient

[out-pey-shuhnt]

noun

1. a patient who receives treatment at a hospital, as in an emergency room or clinic, but is not hospitalized.

outpatient

/ ˈaʊtˌpeɪʃənt /

noun

1. a nonresident hospital patient Compare inpatient

Word History and Origins

Origin of outpatient¹

First recorded in 1705–15; out- + patient

Example Sentences

Starting in January, people on Medicare will pay $202.90 in 2026 for their monthly Part B premiums, which provide coverage for services like doctor’s visits, outpatient procedures and medications administered by a healthcare professional.

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The medical imaging and diagnostic company announced External link on Thursday an agreement to acquire Intelerad, a medical imaging software provider with a presence in outpatient ambulatory care settings, for $2.3 billion in cash.

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Medicare’s telehealth services are set to resume under the agreement to reopen the government, bringing back the pandemic-era service that allows doctors to conduct about 5% of Medicare’s overall outpatient visits remotely.

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The latest official Public Health Scotland figures show that, as of 30 September 2025, there were an estimated 628,696 people on at least one new outpatient, inpatient or day case waiting list.

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Although Camela said she was forceful in telling Mead and Taylor that Eric needed detox and inpatient care, instead he went through an outpatient rehab program in late April and May.

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Related Words

• case 
• inmate 
• subject 
• sufferer www.thesaurus.com
• victim 

When To Use

What does outpatient mean?

Outpatient is commonly used as an adjective to describe treatment that does not require a patient to stay overnight at a hospital or other care facility—they come and leave on the same day.Outpatient is used in contrast with the term inpatient, which describes treatment that requires a patient to be admitted for at least one night.The terms are especially used in phrases like outpatient procedure (after which the patient can leave, instead of staying for further observation or treatment), inpatient treatment (which requires the patient to stay overnight at the hospital), and inpatient room (where such patients stay).Outpatient and inpatient are typically used in the context of hospitals, though inpatient can also refer to a patient who is admitted overnight at a mental health facility or other kind of clinic.Both terms can also be used as nouns referring to such patients.Example: I have an outpatient procedure scheduled for tomorrow morning, so I should be back home by the afternoon.