veterinarian
Americannoun
-
veterinarians
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of veterinarian
1640–50; < Latin veterīnāri ( us ) veterinary + -an
Explanation
A veterinarian is a doctor for animals. When it’s time for your dog to get his shots, you take him to the veterinarian. A veterinarian is someone who treats, cures, and prevents diseases in animals. If you want to become a veterinarian, start studying hard! Much like a people doctor, a veterinarian must have formal training before practicing — typically 4 years of veterinary medicine coursework after completing an undergraduate degree. The word veterinarian is often shortened to “vet.” You might look at your dog and say, “Time to go to the vet!”
Vocabulary lists containing veterinarian
Power Suffix: -arian
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Occupations
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Shiloh
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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.
See Examples For:
But an insurance policy for your pet doesn’t simply wipe those costs away, noted Quammen, a practicing veterinarian.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
Rachel Burrow, a veterinarian and lecturer at the University of Liverpool, helped with both Masaya's CT scan and the subsequent operation.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 8, 2026
Growing up a few blocks from campus, Trinidad aspired to be a veterinarian as a child.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
The birds, in turn, are accustomed to floodlights for the "penguin parade" tourist attraction, as well as being periodically handled by veterinarian scientists for monitoring of their health.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
“There’s no point fretting. We’ve got a bona fide veterinarian here.”
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
Washington would need to mobilize ranchers, geneticists, veterinarians, universities and the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
A team of veterinarians rushed to assist the visibly feeble creature, giving him water before carrying him away on a stretcher.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
As veterinarians seek answers, mate Shadow fuels questions about whether he’s “seeing” another female.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
The analysts said that the veterinarians they surveyed filled 11% of prescriptions through Chewy, with companies like PetMed and Vetsource accounting for a smaller share.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
The horse, the veterinarians said, would probably never run again.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
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.
