nurse practitioner

noun

: a registered nurse who is qualified through advanced training to assume some of the duties and responsibilities formerly assumed only by a physician

—abbreviation NP

Examples of nurse practitioner in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Legislators have considered solutions such as giving broader responsibilities to nurse practitioners — a step that some have argued could help expand access. —CBS News, 19 Mar. 2026

Both Snyder and Gordon referenced the fact that previous meetings of the federal body had brought together unlikely bedfellows, like Singer sitting next to Lyn Redwood, a nurse practitioner who aligns with Kennedy’s vaccine skepticism. —O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 19 Mar. 2026

While the number of stimulants prescribed by psychiatrists remained relatively stable, there was a significant increase in prescriptions from primary care providers and nurse practitioners. —Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 17 Mar. 2026

Tiffany Banks, a naturopathic doctor and nurse practitioner with a hybrid practice in Kentucky, is another provider who openly prescribes the drug. —Michal Ruprecht, NPR, 16 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1967, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for nurse practitioner

• commissioner
• conditioner
• parishioner
• petitioner
• positioner
• missioner

Medical Definition

nurse practitioner

noun

: a registered nurse who through advanced training is qualified to assume some of the duties and responsibilities formerly assumed only by a physician

—abbreviation NP

called also nurse clinician