outpatient

noun

out·​pa·​tient ˈau̇t-ˌpā-shənt How to pronounce outpatient (audio)
often attributive
: a patient who is not hospitalized overnight but who visits a hospital, clinic, or associated facility for diagnosis or treatment compare inpatient

Examples of outpatient in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This map from the CDC uses the proportion of outpatient visits to health care providers for influenza-like illness (ILI) to measure the level within a state. Alexander Tin, CBS News, 7 Feb. 2025 At week 52—ending on December 28—the percentage of outpatient visits related to influenza-like illnesses (ILI) hit about 6.76 percent, then ticked down the first week of 2025 (week 1). Ars Technica, 4 Feb. 2025 The rural emergency hospital model, created in 2020, helps qualifying rural facilities to maintain access to essential emergency and outpatient hospital services, also by providing higher Medicare payments. Cody Mullen, The Conversation, 3 Feb. 2025 Between the lines: Major hospital trade associations reduced or kept their year-to-year spending constant in 2024 despite the threat of site-neutral payment policies that would have changed Medicare reimbursements for outpatient care. Victoria Knight, Axios, 22 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for outpatient 

Word History

First Known Use

1715, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of outpatient was in 1715

Dictionary Entries Near outpatient

Cite this Entry

“Outpatient.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outpatient. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

outpatient

noun
out·​pa·​tient ˈau̇t-ˌpā-shənt How to pronounce outpatient (audio)
: a patient who visits a hospital for diagnosis or treatment without staying overnight compare inpatient

Medical Definition

outpatient

noun
out·​pa·​tient ˈau̇t-ˌpā-shənt How to pronounce outpatient (audio)
: a patient who is not hospitalized overnight but who visits a hospital, clinic, or associated facility for diagnosis or treatment compare inpatient
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!