outpatient

noun

out·​pa·​tient ˈau̇t-ˌpā-shənt 

often attributive

: a patient who is not hospitalized overnight but who visits a hospital, clinic, or associated facility for diagnosis or treatment compare inpatient

Examples of outpatient in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Instead he was sent to the nearby Army barracks and told to schedule outpatient appointments. — Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026

For example, in 2023, commercial insurers paid more than $2,500 on average for colonoscopies performed in a hospital outpatient department in Massachusetts, according to state data. — Bob Herman, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026

Many soldiers are struggling months after the attack Lincón spent seven weeks getting specialized outpatient care at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland, before being sent home to Kansas. — Julie Watson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026

My dad believed this outpatient clinic — which cost nearly $10,000 a week — could save him from the Stage 4 lung cancer ravaging his body. — Trisha Thadani Kirsten Potter Tanya Pérez Devin Murphy, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1715, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for outpatient

• impatient
• inpatient
• patient

Kids Definition

outpatient

noun

out·​pa·​tient ˈau̇t-ˌpā-shənt 

: a patient who visits a hospital for diagnosis or treatment without staying overnight compare inpatient

Medical Definition

outpatient

noun

out·​pa·​tient ˈau̇t-ˌpā-shənt 

: a patient who is not hospitalized overnight but who visits a hospital, clinic, or associated facility for diagnosis or treatment compare inpatient