medical

medical — adjective

1. relating to the work of doctors, nurses, and hospitals in treating sickness and

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

relating to the work of doctors, nurses, and hospitals in treating sickness and injury.

Example

Yasmin decided to go to medical school after volunteering at a hospital.

collocation: medical school

The hospital keeps detailed medical records for every patient who stays overnight.

collocation: medical records

Common collocations
  • medical school
  • medical records
  • medical treatment
  • medical condition
  • medical history
  • medical care
  • medical staff
  • medical equipment
Synonyms
  • clinical

    more specific; related to direct patient care or hospital observation, often contrasting with laboratory or theoretical

  • healthcare

    broader; includes prevention, public health, and long-term care, not just treating illness

  • therapeutic

    focuses on the healing or curative process itself, often for specific treatments

Grammar Patterns

medical + noun

Usage Note

Almost always used directly before a noun (attributive position). You say 'medical treatment' or 'medical school', not 'The treatment is medical'. This is the most common sense of the word in everyday English.

Common Mistakes

She decided to study medical at university.
She decided to study medicine at university.
'medical' is an adjective; the noun for the field of study is 'medicine'.
I need to see a medical.
I need to see a doctor.
'medical' as an adjective cannot stand alone as a noun referring to a person; use the noun sense only for a check-up.

2. involving the use of medicine and other non-surgical methods to treat disease or

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

involving the use of medicine and other non-surgical methods to treat disease or injury, rather than cutting the body during an operation.

Example

The doctors chose a medical approach with drugs instead of operating on her heart.

contrast: medical approach vs. surgery

Eitan chose medical therapy for his back pain to avoid surgery.

collocation: medical therapy

Common collocations
  • medical treatment
  • medical therapy
  • medical management
  • medical approach
  • medical options
Synonyms
  • non-surgical

    direct synonym; interchangeable in most medical contexts

  • medicinal

    narrower; refers specifically to substances used for healing, such as herbs or drugs

  • pharmaceutical

    relates specifically to manufactured drugs and their use

Antonyms
  • surgical

    the direct opposite; involving cutting into the body during an operation

Grammar Patterns

medical + noun (contrasted with surgical)

Usage Note

Only use this sense when the context involves a contrast with surgical treatment. In everyday situations without that contrast, sense 1 (MEDICAL CARE) is the correct choice. Typically found in hospital or clinical discussions about treatment options.

Common Mistakes

The patient received medical surgery.
The patient received medical treatment.' or 'The patient had surgery.
'medical' and 'surgery' describe opposing approaches; they cannot modify the same procedure.

medical — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four describe things connected with healing and health, but each has a different scope. 'Medical' is the broadest term, covering the entire field of diagnosing, treating, and preventing illness — everything from a doctor's check-up to hospital equipment to medical research. 'Clinical' is narrower and refers specifically to direct patient care in a hospital or clinic setting, often contrasting with theoretical or laboratory work: a clinical trial tests a drug on real patients. 'Therapeutic' focuses on the healing process itself, describing treatments or activities meant to cure or improve a condition — therapeutic exercise, therapeutic massage. 'Medicinal' is the most specific, reserved for substances with healing properties, such as medicinal herbs or medicinal drugs. In everyday conversation, 'medical' is the default choice; the other three are more technical or specialised. You might say 'I need medical attention' after a fall, but a doctor would discuss 'therapeutic options' or 'medicinal benefits' of a treatment.

medical ↗clinical ↗therapeutic ↗medicinal

Common collocations

Nouns

  • medical care
  • medical help
  • medical advice
  • medical professional
  • medical treatment
  • medical science

Adverbs

  • purely medical
  • strictly medical
  • solely medical
  • purely for medical reasons

Phrases

  • for medical reasons
  • on medical grounds
  • medical and surgical
  • medical certificate

Prepositions

  • medical for (a job / insurance)
  • on medical grounds

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

'Medical' comes from the Latin word 'medicālis', meaning 'of or belonging to a physician'. That word grew from 'medicus' (a doctor), which in turn came from the verb 'medērī' (to heal). The adjective entered English in the mid-16th century through Middle French 'médical'. The noun sense, a short form of 'medical examination', did not appear until the early 20th century and became common in British English for workplace and insurance health checks.