veterinarian

noun

vet·​er·​i·​nar·​i·​an ˌve-tə-rə-ˈner-ē-ən  ˌve-trə- 

ˌve-tə-ˈner-

plural veterinarians

: a person qualified and authorized to practice veterinary medicine

Other diagnostic procedures that may be used include imaging techniques such as ultrasound and bronchoscopy, which enables a veterinarian to examine the interior of an animal's airway …

—Tom Ewing

If your cat shows signs of anaphylaxis, take it to a veterinarian immediately.

—Amy D. Shojai

Examples of veterinarian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Ask The Vet is a weekly series by Dr. Devon B. Smith, a Baltimore veterinarian who is an associate at Madonna Veterinary Clinic in White Hall. —Dr. Devon B. Smith, Baltimore Sun, 6 Feb. 2025

What symptoms should farmers and veterinarians be on the lookout for? —Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2025

What happened to the dogs A veterinarian who examined the dogs that November day found that some had rashes around their necks from their collars, scarring patterns consistent with dogfighting and teeth that had been forcibly removed from their mouths. —Rachel Treisman, NPR, 4 Feb. 2025

Birdwell was married to Bearden’s daughter at the time, and the veterinarian was trying to get his son-in-law to sign divorce papers. —Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

veterinarian

noun

vet·​er·​i·​nar·​i·​an ˌvet-ə-rən-ˈer-ē-ən  ˌve-trən- 

ˌvet-ᵊn-

: a person who is qualified and has been given the authority to treat diseases and injuries of animals

Medical Definition

veterinarian

noun

vet·​er·​i·​nar·​i·​an ˌvet-ə-rən-ˈer-ē-ən  ˌve-trən- 

ˌvet-ᵊn-

: a person qualified and authorized to practice veterinary medicine