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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
The surgeon general has warned about the negative effects of social media on kids’ mental health.
—Chicago Tribune, 25 May 2024
And the surgeon general released a report in 2023 warning about their potential to exacerbate mood and anxiety disorders.
—Amir A. Levine, Baltimore Sun, 12 Apr. 2024
Amidst their staggering rates of anxiety, depression and deaths from suicide and drug overdoses, the U.S. surgeon general declared a youth mental health crisis in 2021 and identified an epidemic of loneliness in 2023, with young people among those at highest risk.
—Deborah Malizia, The Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2024
In Florida, seven students at an elementary school contracted measles even as the state’s surgeon general, Dr. Joseph Ladapo, left it to parents to decide whether unvaccinated children should attend school.
—Apoorva Mandavilli, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for surgeon general
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'surgeon general.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1706, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near surgeon general
Cite this Entry
“Surgeon general.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surgeon%20general. Accessed 14 Jun. 2024.
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
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