veterinarian
Americannoun
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:
Ph.D., senior author, an associate research professor and clinical veterinarian at FAU Harbor Branch.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026
In a statement released on Friday, Merlin Entertainments said the announcement came after "months of collaborative work with Freedom for Animals, the Born Free Foundation and PETA, a wild penguin researcher, a veterinarian, and BIAZA".
From BBC ● May 29, 2026
Miller began her career as a conventional veterinarian.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 17, 2026
During a press conference about the last-ditch rescue effort, veterinarian Janine Bahr‑van Gemmert was heckled by a man who burst through a security cordon.
From Barron's ● Apr. 23, 2026
But he couldn’t remember, or didn’t, until, free of the shopping-day traffic and racing along Route 50 toward Holcomb, he passed Dr. I. E. Dale’s veterinarian establishment.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
Transported in specialised cold-water containers by truck and plane, the animals were accompanied throughout the journey by marine mammal veterinarians.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
“The center is working with several specialist veterinarians to determine the best supportive care for the moment,” the nonprofit wrote in a Facebook post, which racked up more than 120,000 likes within hours.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Venezuelan medical students, doctors and veterinarians are offering primary care out of a McDonald’s that was among the few buildings left intact after the quakes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026
These ranches once supported families, small towns, local stores and restaurants, feed suppliers, truckers, veterinarians, and entire rural communities.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
The balance is delicate and government veterinarians have found that repeated small doses can gradually deplete an animal’s supply of the protective enzyme cholinesterase, so that without warning a minute additional dose will cause poisoning.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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.
