surgeon general

noun

plural surgeons general
: the chief medical officer of a branch of the armed services or of a public health service

Examples of surgeon general 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.
Trump's new surgeon general nominee sparks drama Means graduated from Stanford Medical School and pursued a surgical residency as an otolaryngologist, often called an ENT doctor. Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025 Critics argue that Means doesn't possess the leadership or clinical experience typically expected from the surgeon general, who is regarded as the nation's top doctor. NPR, 30 Oct. 2025 Some prior work from the surgeon general has greatly influenced public health over the past decades, such as the 1964 report that concluded that cigarette smoking is a major cause of lung cancer in both men and women. Will McDuffie, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2025 Less than a year into his tenure as HHS secretary, Kennedy’s approach was challenged by six former surgeons general who served under both Republicans and Democrats. Anna Clark, ProPublica, 13 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for surgeon general

Word History

First Known Use

1706, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of surgeon general was in 1706

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Cite this Entry

“Surgeon general.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surgeon%20general. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

surgeon general

noun
plural surgeons general
: the chief medical officer of a branch of the armed services or of a public health service

Medical Definition

surgeon general

noun
plural surgeons general
: the chief medical officer of a branch of the armed services or of a public health service
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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