Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

practitioner

American  
[prak-tish-uh-ner] / prækˈtɪʃ ə nər /

noun

  1. a person engaged in the practice of a profession, occupation, etc..

    a medical practitioner.

  2. a person who practices something specified.

  3. Christian Science. a person authorized to practice healing.


practitioner British  
/ prækˈtɪʃənə /

noun

  1. a person who practises a profession or art

  2. Christian Science a person authorized to practise spiritual healing

"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

Etymology

Origin of practitioner

1535–45; alteration of practician ( practic + -ian ) + -er 1

Explanation

A practitioner is an expert who uses that knowledge as part of a profession. Every yoga practitioner started by attending an introductory class. In practitioner, you can see the word practice, which everyone says will make you perfect. Practice can also mean the clients, daily activities, and location where a professional such as a doctor works. So a practitioner is someone who has learned everything about his or her field and is actively working in that field. So don't worry about going to the doctor — you won't be practice for this practitioner.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing practitioner

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.

Practitioner Carolyn Barron really is “a poet first and a doctor second,” and I leave every visit to her AcuTemple feeling a little closer to the mystical and to myself.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 4, 2025

The three journals that published the initiative papers are School-University Partnerships, Journal of Practitioner Research and Journal of Teacher Education.

From Science Daily • Mar. 13, 2024

Practitioner and policymaker decision-making can be based on irrational judgments as much as objective evidence because we all hold underlying morals, values, and feelings about what is right.

From Salon • Jan. 7, 2024

He was supported by NHS Practitioner Health, but still needed to take three months away from work at his surgery in Witley, Surrey.

From BBC • Oct. 5, 2023

The Practitioner then rolled his right shirt-sleeve up to his shoulder; he was the largest man in the party, and his arm was the arm of a blacksmith.

From The Old Tobacco Shop A True Account of What Befell a Little Boy in Search of Adventure by Bowen, William