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Medicine vocabulary · Hospital Departments and Staff

Appointment

Meaning in medicine, with examples

/əˈpɔɪntmənt/nounCore term

In medicine, appointment means: An arranged time to see a doctor, nurse or other health worker, for example at a clinic or a GP practice.

In Turkish: randevu

How it is used

Patients book, cancel and miss appointments. Clinics talk about follow-up appointments, missed appointments ('did not attend', DNA) and waiting times. Doctors end with 'I'll see you at your next appointment.'

Example sentences

  1. I'd like to book an appointment with Dr Patel, please.

  2. He has missed his last two clinic appointments.

Common collocations

  • book an appointment
  • follow-up appointment
  • miss an appointment
  • cancel an appointment
  • outpatient appointment
  • clinicA session or place where outpatients are seen by appointment, usually by doctors from one specialty, without staying in hospital.
  • follow-upA later appointment or check to see how a patient is doing after treatment, a test result or a hospital stay.
  • outpatientA patient who visits a hospital or clinic for an appointment, test or treatment without staying overnight; also used as an adjective for this kind of care.
  • general practitionerA doctor based in the community who treats a wide range of everyday health problems, provides long-term care and refers patients to hospital specialists when needed.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Hospital Departments and Staff

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.