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.
But some experts warn that blanket restrictions on screen time may not necessarily address any of the issues raised in the surgeon general advisory. Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 20 May 2026 So until the next surgeon general is sworn in, Haridopolos is expected to promote surgeon general public health actions, advisories and guidance. Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 20 May 2026 There’s no director at CDC or the FDA, the surgeon general still hasn’t been confirmed, and the top spokesperson at HHS just resigned. Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 20 May 2026 But more recently, the Louisiana Republican forced the withdrawal of Trump's candidate for surgeon general, Casey Means, after grilling her over a lack of support for vaccines. Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 16 May 2026 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Surgeon general.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surgeon%20general. Accessed 28 May. 2026.

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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