noun
physician
fih-ZIH-shuhn/fɪˈzɪʃn/
A medical doctor, especially one who treats illness without surgery.
The physician listens to the patient’s chest with a stethoscope.
Etymology
A physician is a practitioner of the art of healing. The word already distinguished a doctor treating disease and preserving health from a surgeon.
In context
the original version of the Hippocratic Oath, one of the most widely known Greek medical text, which required a new physician to swear on several healing gods
More examples
- She consulted a physician about the persistent cough.
- Several physicians work at the clinic.
- His physician explained the test results.
Forms
physician · physicians
Similar words
- doctor
- The usual broader term.
- medical practitioner
- A formal description.