radiologist

American  

[ray-dee-ahl-uh-jist] / ˌreɪ diˈɑl ə dʒɪst /

noun

1. a specialist in medical radiology.

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Explanation

A radiologist is a doctor who detects and treats conditions using medical imaging, like x-ray machines. If you think you've broken your arm after a fall at the roller rink, you may need to see a radiologist. A radiologist can x-ray your arm or leg and get a picture of the bones inside. Other tools available to radiologists include CT scans, MRIs, and ultrasound. These are all imaging techniques, and the word radiologist comes from the radiation that x-rays and CT scans use to create an image (from the Latin radiationem, "a shining"). Instead of radiation, ultrasounds use sound waves and MRIs use magnetic fields and radio waves.

Example Sentences

At St. Göran’s hospital in downtown Stockholm, radiologist Karin Dembrower huddled over a computer screen, pointing to tiny light spots indicating cancer on a black-and-white image.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026

During the exam, the radiologist noted that Hamilton, who is 49, had “dense breast tissue” but did not explain further—only that she should always get extra screening exams.

From Slate • Feb. 4, 2026

The Mirai model offers “a fundamental paradigm shift,” said Hari Trivedi, a radiologist who codirects the Health Innovation and Translational Informatics machine-learning lab at Emory University.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 11, 2025

An interventional radiologist, guided by MRI, releases the chemotherapy agent directly into the artery feeding the retina.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2025

In fact, it was her radiologist who was potentially at fault.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell