health care

noun

variants or healthcare
ˈhelth-ˌker How to pronounce health care (audio)
 also  ˈheltth-
1
: efforts made to maintain, restore, or promote someone's physical, mental, or emotional well-being especially when performed by trained and licensed professionals
affordable health care
Health care is about keeping people healthy or fixing them up when they get sick.Ezekiel J. Emanuel
… has invested more than $500 million to improve access to quality healthcare in rural America …Bemidji Pioneer (online)
… the wearable [device] market is empowering people to take charge of their own healthcare.Rebecca Bellan
sometimes hyphenated when used before another noun
health-care costs
Residents receive their meals, assistance with medications, … limited health-care services, supervision and companionship.Jere Daniel
2
: the people and organizations that provide health care
jobs in health care
The charges speak to some of the problems that face healthcareDave Newbart
sometimes hyphenated when used before another noun
health-care workers
the health-care system/industry

Examples of health care in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web London’s health care system and robust public transportation options, such as trains, trams, buses, and ferries, make up for its expensive living costs. Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 2 Oct. 2024 The five-member board oversees the annual $5 billion budget that funds programs for a county of more than 1.1 million people — programs such as health care, social services, law enforcement, library services, planning and roads maintenance and repair. East Bay Times Editorial, The Mercury News, 1 Oct. 2024 This change might require you to adjust your budget, reallocating resources to cover additional living expenses, such as food, utilities, or even health care costs for your child. Womensmedia, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024 The Harris campaign released a report on Monday that paints a dire picture of health care under a hypothetical Trump administration. Annie Nova, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for health care 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'health care.' 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

1906, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of health care was in 1906

Dictionary Entries Near health care

Cite this Entry

“Health care.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/health%20care. Accessed 12 Oct. 2024.

Medical Definition

health care

noun
variants or healthcare
1
: efforts to maintain, restore, or promote someone's physical, mental, or emotional well-being especially when performed by trained and licensed professionals (as in medicine, dentistry, clinical psychology, and public health)
American health care is at a crossroads. Rapidly advancing forms of technology are dramatically improving lives. Simultaneously, U.S. citizens face enormous inefficiencies, escalating costs, uneven quality, disparities in health care, and rising numbers of uninsured people.William H. Frist, The New England Journal of Medicine
Several reviews … reflect that telemedicine can substantially improve the quality of healthcare even under COVID-19 restrictions and measures.Elliot Mbunge et al., Sensors International
sometimes hyphenated when used before another noun
health-care coverage
2
: the personnel and organizations that provide health care
In the attempt to prevent the spread of a viral infection to and from healthcare workers, the health community generally relies on the efficacy of personal protective equipment (PPE): gloves, masks, respirators, goggles, face shields, and gowns.Ivo Boskoski et al., Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
sometimes hyphenated when used before another noun
health-care providers

More from Merriam-Webster on health care

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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