ambulatory

play

adjective am·bu·la·to·ry \ ˈam-byə-lə-ˌtȯr-ē \

Definition of ambulatory

1 a :able to walk about and not bedridden

ambulatory patients

b :performed on or involving an ambulatory patient or an outpatient

ambulatory medical care

an ambulatory electrocardiogram

2 :of, relating to, or adapted to walking

ambulatory exercise

; also :occurring during a walk

an ambulatory conversation

3 :moving from place to place :itinerant

for years led an ambulatory life

4 law :capable of being altered

a will is ambulatory until the testator's death

—

ambulatorily

play \ˌam-byə-lə-ˈtȯr-ə-lē\ adverb

See ambulatory defined for kids

Examples of ambulatory in a Sentence

ambulatory theatrical companies that brought live theater to small towns across America

Recent Examples of ambulatory from the Web

For now all our ambulatory clinics and pharmacies are shut down as well.

— olga khazan, The Atlantic, "The Houston Hospital Running Out of Food," 28 Aug. 2017
An ambulatory surgery center will also be on site where people can get knee and hip replacements among other surgeries.

— andrea k. mcdaniels, baltimoresun.com, "MedStar to open new regional orthopaedic center in Timonium," 7 Aug. 2017
Alex is mature, sensitive and generous, and seems at home with an ambulatory life.

— atlanta life, ajc, "Road trip heals mother, comforts child," 28 July 2017
The Mequon clinic, unlike the clinics in New Berlin and Oak Creek, will not have an ambulatory surgical center.

— guy boulton, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Froedtert Health and the Medical College of Wisconsin plan new clinic in Mequon," 3 July 2017
David Thompson, an office administrator at the nonprofit ambulatory surgery center, told KCRA-TV the clinic received death threats online and had to close its office Friday.

— veronica rocha, latimes.com, "California family seeks answers after 3-year-old dies following routine dental procedure," 19 June 2017
Evacuation is preferred, and Poway Unified School District can provide up to 20 school buses to help move non-ambulatory patients.

— j. harry jones, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Poway's Twin Peaks worry firefighters," 10 June 2017
Dimensions owns Prince George's Hospital Center in Cheverly and an ambulatory care center in Bowie.

— andrea k. mcdaniels, baltimoresun.com, "Dimensions completes next step to becoming part of UM Medical System," 9 June 2017
CLEVELAND, Ohio - A new program will launch Thursday for ambulatory detoxification to help manage the medical needs of clients going through opiate withdrawal.

— plain dealer business staff, cleveland.com, "Ambulatory detox pilot program launches to treat clients in opiate withdrawal," 31 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ambulatory.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of ambulatory

see ambulate

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1598

See Words from the same year

ambulatory Synonyms

Synonyms

ambulant, itinerant, errant, fugitive, gallivanting (also galavanting), nomad, nomadic, perambulatory, peregrine, peripatetic, ranging, roaming, roving, vagabond, vagrant, wandering, wayfaring

Related Words

drifting, footloose, meandering, rambling; sauntering, strolling, traipsing, walking; migrant, migratory

Near Antonyms

immobile, nonmoving, settled, standing, static, stationary; motionless, still

ambulatory

noun

Definition of ambulatory

plural ambulatories

:a sheltered place (as in a cloister or church) for walking

Recent Examples of ambulatory from the Web

Cross Country has more than 9,500 contracts for staffing with hospitals, physician practices, outpatient and ambulatory-care centers, public and charter schools and government offices.

— marcia heroux pounds, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Boca Raton-based Cross Country Healthcare acquires RN staffing business for $88 million," 14 June 2017
Reedy spends part of his time away from the Buccaneers and during the offseason working as a driver for a company that provides wheelchair transportation and ambulatory services that pays him $11 an hour.

— geoffrey c. arnold, OregonLive.com, "NFL player helps the disabled for $11 an hour: Report," 19 May 2017
An ambulatory setting is less costly than a hospital setting.

— melanie evans, WSJ, "The Affordable Care Act: The View From a Hospital CEO," 20 Feb. 2017
UnitedHealth has said Optum, based in Eden Prairie, aims to provide primary care and ambulatory services in 75 markets, representing about two-thirds of the U.S. population.

— dow jones news service, Twin Cities, "UnitedHealth’s Optum to acquire Surgical Care Affiliates for $2.3 billion," 9 Jan. 2017

Origin and Etymology of ambulatory

see ambulate

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1616

See Words from the same year

Other Architecture Terms

buttress, casita, cornice, fanlight, garret, lintel, parapet, pilaster, plinth

Medical Dictionary

ambulatory

play

adjective am·bu·la·to·ry \ ˈam-byə-lə-ˌtōr-ē, -ˌtȯr- \

medical Definition of ambulatory

1 :of, relating to, or adapted to walking

ambulatory exercise

2 a :able to walk about and not bedridden

an ambulatory patient

All patients were ambulatory before hip fracture.
—Karim Anton Calis and Frank Pucino, The New England Journal of Medicine, 1 Nov. 2007

b :performed on or involving a patient who is able to walk about

Some patients report that ambulatory oxygen therapy helps relieve exercise-related breathlessness.
—Dennis E. Niewoehner, The New England Journal of Medicine, 15 Apr. 2010

c :performed on or provided to an outpatient

ambulatory care

Ambulatory surgical procedures have proliferated in recent years as a result of increases in the cost of inpatient health services.
—Mark A. Warner et al., The Journal of the American Medical Association, 22 Sept. 1993

; also :relating to or intended for outpatient care

ambulatory surgery centers

d :performed on or worn by a patient during the course of normal daily activities (such as working and sleeping)

Rather than treat all patients on the basis of office blood pressure readings, some clinicians … maintain that certain patients should first be fitted with ambulatory blood pressure monitors that automatically record their blood pressure every 15 minutes or so throughout the day and night.
—Jane E. Brody, The New York Times, 28 Nov. 1995

; also :obtained by ambulatory monitoring

24-hour ambulatory blood pressure

—

ambulatorily

play \ˌam-byə-lə-ˈtōr-ə-lē, -ˈtȯr-\ adverb

- a patient treated ambulatorily

Law Dictionary

ambulatory

play

adjective am·bu·la·to·ry \ ˈam-byə-lə-ˌtōr-ē \

legal Definition of ambulatory

:capable of being altered

a will is ambulatory until the testator's death

Origin and Etymology of ambulatory

Latin ambulatorius, literally, movable, transferable, from ambulare to walk, move, be transferred

Learn More about ambulatory

See words that rhyme with ambulatory Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for ambulatory Britannica English: Translation of ambulatory for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ambulatory

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up ambulatory? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

ambulatory

Definition of ambulatory

ambulatorily

From the M-W Editors

Examples of ambulatory in a Sentence

Recent Examples of ambulatory from the Web

Origin and Etymology of ambulatory

ambulatory Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

ambulatory

Definition of ambulatory

Recent Examples of ambulatory from the Web

Origin and Etymology of ambulatory

Other Architecture Terms

Medical Dictionary

ambulatory

medical Definition of ambulatory

ambulatorily

Law Dictionary

ambulatory

legal Definition of ambulatory

Origin and Etymology of ambulatory

Learn More about ambulatory

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

The Ambiguity of Pushing 'Up' and 'Back'

Trending: Ivanka: "An 'Otherwise' Incredible Day"

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes

Words of the Year: 1066