Word
hospital
Phoneticshos·pi·tal, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈhɑˌspɪtəɫ/
UK/hˈɒspɪtəl/
Definitions
01medical facility
A1 · Beginner Countable noun Medicine
n. a building where people go to receive medical treatment from doctors and nurses.
n. an institution providing medical and surgical treatment and nursing care for sick or injured people.
日本語:病院※
“The ambulance took the injured man to the nearest hospital immediately.”
“The city council recently approved funding for a new teaching hospital that will specialize in advanced cardiovascular research and emergency trauma care.”
Usage
In British English, the article is often omitted ('in hospital') when referring to being a patient; American English typically retains it ('in the hospital').
Pitfall
He is in the hospital since Monday.
He has been in the hospital since Monday.
Use the present perfect ('has been') for an action that started in the past and continues to the present.
02historic almshouse
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Archaic
n. an old name for a place that gives a home to poor or old people.
n. a charitable institution or almshouse for the housing and care of the needy or elderly.
“The old hospital in the village was built in 1650 to house poor workers.”
“The Royal Hospital Chelsea was founded as a retirement home for soldiers rather than a facility for acute medical treatment.”
Teaching tip
This sense is rarely encountered outside of historical literature or specific proper names of old buildings in the UK.
Synonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “hospital” in context.
Real-World Examples
“A revamped emergency care unit is set to open at a hospital in Kent on Tuesday as part of plans to improve patient flows.” “The Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH), responsible for the hospital, has expressed regret to the family and acknowledged that errors were made in the management of David's cardiac failure.” “Four NHS hospital trusts in England have declared critical incidents after a “surge” in A&E admissions driven in large part by patients with flu, norovirus and respiratory viruses.” “Patients are collapsing in hospitals unseen by staff because overcrowding means they are stranded out of sight on corridors, the NHS’s safety watchdog has revealed.” Etymology
From Middle English hospital, hospitall, from Old French hospital (Modern French hôpital), from Late Latin hospitālis, hospitāle (“hospice, shelter, guesthouse”), from noun use of Latin hospitālis (“hospitable”), from hospes (“host, guest”). Doublet of hotel and hostel. Displaced native Middle English lechehous, from Old English lǣċehūs (literally “doctor house”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A1 MoversIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.2.0–3.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 1.0–1.50–23TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.120–224
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- A1 · BeginnerOxford
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/hospital
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0