physician
Americannoun
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a person who is legally qualified to practice medicine; doctor of medicine.
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a person engaged in general medical practice, as distinguished from one specializing in surgery.
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a person who is skilled in the art of healing.
noun
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a person legally qualified to practise medicine, esp one specializing in areas of treatment other than surgery; doctor of medicine
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archaic any person who treats diseases; healer
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of physician
1175–1225; physic + -ian ( see -ician); replacing Middle English fisicien < Old French
Explanation
A physician is a doctor. If you wake up and your eyes are red, your skin is yellow, and your tongue is swollen, find a physician, soon! When we use the word physician, we typically mean a doctor that practices general healing, as opposed to a surgeon. Physician is a very old word, coming from both Greek and Latin roots for physic, meaning "natural science and medicine."
Vocabulary lists containing physician
Occupations
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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.
"It's not just what you eat, but when you eat it," said Harika Dadigiri, MD, resident physician at New York Medical College at Saint Mary's and Saint Clare's Hospital, and the study's lead author.
From Science Daily • May 1, 2026
To curtail the spending, CMS in January implemented a flat national reimbursement rate for covered products in both physician offices and hospital outpatient departments, a move it projects to save several billion dollars annually.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 28, 2026
Archelle Georgiou is a physician, journalist and former healthcare executive.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 22, 2026
But you also need to prove your true home is elsewhere by doing things such as getting a driver’s license, registering to vote, choosing a primary-care physician, and keeping track of your days, Stephens says.
From Barron's • Apr. 20, 2026
Today, a physician would recognize that fever and a pus-producing wound pointed to a serious infection.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
