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

Recently, the medical examiner shared forensic evidence with the sheriff’s office, which was then sent to Othram Labs in Texas for advanced DNA testing. —Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025

Patricia Hartigan, 82, appears to have been the first to die, showing up on the Miami-Dade medical examiner log on April 22. —Kevin G. Hall, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025

City of Brookfield Police Department, Waukesha County Sheriff's Department, Wisconsin State Patrol, the county's medical examiner's office, and both the town and city of Brookfield's fire and rescue teams responded to the scene. —Bridget Fogarty, jsonline.com, 7 Nov. 2025

At least 218 homeless individuals died countywide last year because of drugs, according to preliminary data from the medical examiner. —Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Nov. 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