# treating

/ˈtɹitɪŋ/ (US) · /tɹˈiːtɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/treating
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. medical care

verb · CEFR B1

giving medical care to a person or animal to help them get better.

For teachers: administering medical care or therapy to a patient for an illness or injury.

- The doctors are treating him for a broken leg after the accident.
- The medical team is currently treating the patient for a rare respiratory infection using a combination of traditional antibiotics and experimental therapies.

Usage: Often takes 'for' followed by the condition being addressed.

### 2. behaving toward someone

verb · CEFR B1

behaving toward someone or something in a specific way.

For teachers: behaving toward or dealing with a person or thing in a specified manner.

- She is treating the situation very seriously because it affects her job.
- The manager was criticised for treating his staff with a lack of professional respect during the transition period.

Usage: Usually followed by an adverb or a prepositional phrase describing the manner.

### 3. paying for others

verb · CEFR B1

paying for someone else's food, drink, or entertainment.

For teachers: providing someone with food, drink, or entertainment at one's own expense.

- I am treating my parents to dinner tonight for their anniversary.
- The company is treating the entire department to a weekend retreat as a reward for exceeding their annual sales targets.

Usage: Commonly used with the pattern 'treating someone to something'.

### 4. electoral bribery

noun · CEFR C2 · British English · Formal · Technical

the illegal act of giving voters food or drink to influence their vote.

For teachers: the electoral offence of providing food, drink, or entertainment to voters to corruptly influence their vote.

- The politician was accused of treating after he gave free meals to voters.
- The election results were challenged in court on the grounds of treating, following reports that the candidate had hosted lavish banquets for local constituents.

Usage: Used as an uncountable noun in legal contexts.

## Examples

- The doctor is treating her for a bad cough.
- He is treating his sister to dinner at a fancy restaurant for her birthday.
- While the hospital is treating the physical symptoms of the disease, social workers are addressing the psychological impact on the patient's family.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.