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 later determined her cause of death to be asphyxia and the manner to be homicide. —Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2025

The body was soon identified as Rice, but the medical examiner found something even more disturbing -- five gunshot wounds on his body. —Mason Leath, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2025

Case grows cold After the workers found the remains, the medical examiner’s office took up the case, police said. —Daniella Segura, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2025

The medical examiner’s office had agreed in February of this year to re-examine the Greenberg case as part of a settlement in a suit by Josh and Sandee Greenberg against various city officials. —Brandon Griggs, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 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