medical examiner

noun

: a usually appointed public officer whose duties are similar to those of a coroner but who is typically required to have specific medical training (as in pathology) and is qualified to conduct medical examinations and autopsies

Examples of medical examiner in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The medical examiner ruled Gigliotti's death a homicide, leaving the district attorney to determine whether the actions of the officers were justified. —Cheryl Fiandaca, CBS News, 5 Dec. 2025

What’s to come A medical examiner from Boston took the stand briefly before the trial adjourned Friday afternoon. —Lauren Del Valle, CNN Money, 5 Dec. 2025

Police said foul play is not suspected, but the medical examiner's investigation is ongoing. —Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 3 Dec. 2025

The medical examiner didn’t put the bags on specifically to preserve the DNA, which wasn’t a common science at the time, but the process had the fortunate side effect of safeguarding the evidence investigators would use to solve the case decades later. —Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 2 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1877, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for medical examiner

• interlaminar
• laminar

Medical Definition

medical examiner

noun

1

: a usually appointed public officer with duties similar to those of a coroner but who is required to have specific medical training (as in pathology) and is qualified to conduct medical examinations and autopsies

2

: a physician employed to make medical examinations (as of applicants for military service or of claimants of workers' compensation)

3

: a physician appointed to examine and license candidates for the practice of medicine in a political jurisdiction (as a state)

Legal Definition

medical examiner

noun

med·​i·​cal examiner

: a public officer who determines the necessity of and conducts autopsies