Word
pediatrics
Phoneticspe·di·atrics
/ˌpidiˈætɹɪks/
UK spelling · paediatrics
Definition
n. the branch of medicine that deals with the health and medical care of babies, children, and teenagers.
n. the branch of medical science concerned with the physical, mental, and social health of infants, children, and adolescents. Often spelled 'paediatrics' in British English.
Examples
“She decided to specialize in pediatrics after working at the children's hospital.”
“Advances in pediatrics have significantly lowered infant mortality rates and improved long-term outcomes for premature babies.”
“While general practice covers patients of all ages, pediatrics requires specialized knowledge of developmental milestones and the unique physiological responses of younger patients to various treatments.”
Examples
simple
“She decided to specialize in pediatrics after working at the children's hospital.”
contextual
“Advances in pediatrics have significantly lowered infant mortality rates and improved long-term outcomes for premature babies.”
complex
“While general practice covers patients of all ages, pediatrics requires specialized knowledge of developmental milestones and the unique physiological responses of younger patients to various treatments.”
Usage
Functions as a singular noun despite the 's' ending; takes a singular verb.
Pitfall
Pediatrics are a difficult field.
Pediatrics is a difficult field.
Names of medical or scientific branches ending in -ics take a singular verb.
Real-World Examples
Common in health and science writing
“We know these are backed by decades of studies, studying millions of patients, showing the vaccine schedule is safe and effective,” says Dr Katherine Piwnica-Worms, system chief of pediatrics at NYC Health + Hospitals.” “In general, the American Academy of Pediatrics clearly recommends prioritizing healthy, nonscreen interactions and content quality over strict time limits for children.” “Every vaccine on the schedule remains available and covered by insurance, the American Academy of Pediatrics continues to recommend the full set, and no new evidence prompted any of this.” “The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends looking beyond the number of minutes children spend on screens each day.” Etymology
From Ancient Greek παῖς (paîs, “child”) ped + -iatrics.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/pediatrics