outpatient
noun
out·pa·tient
ˈau̇t-ˌpā-shənt 
often attributive
: a patient who is not hospitalized overnight but who visits a hospital, clinic, or associated facility for diagnosis or treatment compare inpatient
Examples of outpatient in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
About 35% of outpatient visits for a respiratory illness were among people unde.
—
Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 5 Jan. 2026
Denver’s major health systems went into expansion mode in 2025, adding more than three-quarters of a billion dollars’ worth of new towers, urgent care centers and outpatient clinics.
—Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 31 Dec. 2025
As major health systems snap up increasing numbers of doctors’ offices, more people are being charged these fees for routine appointments in outpatient clinics.
—Rich Schapiro, NBC news, 30 Dec. 2025
Payal Beam, vice president of Rady’s Mental, Behavioral & Developmental Services Institute, said the expansion originally called for 60 inpatient beds, but that number was reduced in favor of more outpatient capacity.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for outpatient
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Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 5 Jan. 2026
Denver’s major health systems went into expansion mode in 2025, adding more than three-quarters of a billion dollars’ worth of new towers, urgent care centers and outpatient clinics.
—Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 31 Dec. 2025
As major health systems snap up increasing numbers of doctors’ offices, more people are being charged these fees for routine appointments in outpatient clinics.
—Rich Schapiro, NBC news, 30 Dec. 2025
Payal Beam, vice president of Rady’s Mental, Behavioral & Developmental Services Institute, said the expansion originally called for 60 inpatient beds, but that number was reduced in favor of more outpatient capacity.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for outpatient
Cite this Entry
“Outpatient.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outpatient. Accessed 6 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
outpatient
noun
out·pa·tient
ˈau̇t-ˌpā-shənt
: a patient who visits a hospital for diagnosis or treatment without staying overnight compare inpatient
Medical Definition
outpatient
noun
out·pa·tient
ˈau̇t-ˌpā-shənt
: a patient who is not hospitalized overnight but who visits a hospital, clinic, or associated facility for diagnosis or treatment compare inpatient
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