clinic

1 of 2

noun

clin·​ic ˈkli-nik 

1

a

: a facility (as of a hospital) for diagnosis and treatment of outpatients

b

: a group practice in which several physicians work cooperatively

2

: a class of medical instruction in which patients are examined and discussed

3

: a group meeting devoted to the analysis and solution of concrete problems or to the acquiring of specific skills or knowledge

writing clinics

golf clinics

4

: a facility that offers professional services or consultation usually at discounted rates

a legal clinic

5

: an exemplary display or performance

put on a clinic in the tournament

-clinic

2 of 2

adjective combining form

1

: inclining : dipping

2

: having (so many) oblique intersections of the axes

triclinic

Examples of clinic in a Sentence

Noun

The clinic is offering free screening for diabetes.

He checked into a drug rehab clinic.

The hospital is holding a pain clinic on Tuesday night for anyone interested in learning how to deal with chronic pain.

A local club is giving a fishing clinic on Saturday.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Narrowing the spread also weakens the incentive to steer patients toward costlier drugs and to acquire physician practices and infusion clinics — the very behaviors that have made care more expensive. — Casey B. Mulligan, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026

The nonprofit immunology research institute must be affiliated with a University of California campus that has a hospital and clinic volume of more than 35,000 inpatient admissions and 3,500,000 outpatient visits each year. — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 8 Oct. 2026

The general fund covers everything from Preckwinkle’s office to the courts and property tax system, while the health fund covers the county’s safety-net clinics and hospitals as well as its Medicaid program, CountyCare. — A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026

The team sent him to his home state for answers at the clinic, which is located about 250 miles from Jones’ hometown of Bradenton. — Pj Green october 8, Kansas City Star, 8 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French clinique, from Greek klinikē medical practice at the sickbed, from feminine of klinikos of a bed, from klinē bed, from klinein to lean, recline — more at lean

Adjective combining form

International Scientific Vocabulary, from Greek klinein

First Known Use

Noun

1819, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing clinic

• put on a clinic

Rhymes for clinic

• clinic
• cynic
• linac
• pinnock
• baroclinic
• monoclinic
• polyclinic
• rabbinic
• triclinic

Kids Definition

clinic

noun

clin·​ic ˈklin-ik 

1

: a class of medical instruction in which patients are examined and discussed

2

: a group meeting for teaching a certain skill and working on individual problems

a reading clinic

3

: a place for the treatment of people needing medical help who do not stay overnight

Etymology

Noun

from French clinique "medical instruction at a hospital bed," from Greek klinikē "medical practice at a sickbed," derived from klinē "bed," from klinein "to lean, recline" — related to climate, climax

Medical Definition

clinic

noun

clin·​ic ˈklin-ik 

1

a

: a session or class of medical instruction in a hospital held at the bedside of patients serving as case studies

b

: a group of selected patients presented with discussion before doctors (as at a convention) for purposes of instruction

2

a

: an institution connected with a hospital or medical school where diagnosis and treatment are made available to outpatients

b

: a form of group practice in which several physicians (as specialists) work in cooperative association