Word
physician
Phoneticsphysi·cian
US/fəˈzɪʃən/
UK/fɪzˈɪʃən/
Definition
n. a formal word for a doctor who is trained to treat people who are ill.
n. a person qualified to practise medicine. While often used as a formal synonym for 'doctor', it specifically denotes a practitioner of internal medicine in professional hierarchies.
Examples
“The physician examines the patient carefully.”
“After several tests, the primary care physician referred the patient to a specialist for further evaluation.”
“The hospital's ethics committee includes a senior physician to ensure that clinical decisions align with both medical standards and the patient's long-term welfare.”
Examples
simple
“The physician examines the patient carefully.”
contextual
“After several tests, the primary care physician referred the patient to a specialist for further evaluation.”
complex
“The hospital's ethics committee includes a senior physician to ensure that clinical decisions align with both medical standards and the patient's long-term welfare.”
Usage
Often used in formal documents, insurance forms, and professional titles rather than in casual conversation.
Teaching tip
Learners often confuse this with 'physicist'. Remind them that 'physician' is for medicine and 'physicist' is for science.
Pitfall
I need to see a physicist about my back pain.
I need to see a physician about my back pain.
A physicist is a scientist who studies physics; a physician is a medical doctor.
Real-World Examples
“Berger’s 1967 book A Fortunate Man paid gorgeous tribute to Dr John Sassall, a country physician from the Forest of Dean whose work at times bordered on the supernatural.” “Earlier this year, the Guardian commissioned the esteemed forensic physician Prof Jason Payne-James to examine the injuries from the crime scene.” Etymology
From Middle English fisicien, from Old French fisicïen (“physician”) (modern French physicien (“physicist”)), from fisique (“art of healing”), from Latin physica (“natural science”), from Ancient Greek φυσική ἐπιστήμη (phusikḗ epistḗmē, “knowledge of nature”), from φυσικός (phusikós, “pertaining to nature”). Displaced native Middle English læche, leche, archaic English leech (“physician”). Morphologically physic + -ian.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Idioms
physician, heal thyself — One should attend to one's own flaws or defects before presuming to advise others about theirs.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/physician