paramedic

1 of 2

noun

para·​med·​ic ˌper-ə-ˈme-dik 

ˌpa-rə-

variants or less commonly paramedical

ˌper-ə-ˈme-di-kəl 

ˌpa-rə-

1

: a person who works in a health field in an auxiliary capacity to a physician (as by giving injections and taking X-rays)

2

: a specially trained medical technician licensed to provide a wide range of emergency services (such as defibrillation and the intravenous administration of drugs) before or during transportation to a hospital compare emt

paramedic

2 of 2

adjective

para·​med·​ic ˌper-ə-ˈme-dik 

ˌpa-rə-

less common variant of paramedical

: concerned with supplementing the work of highly trained medical professionals

paramedical aides and technicians

Did you know?

The History of Paramedic

In ground warfare, wounded troops must usually be transported from the front lines back to field hospitals, and trained paramedical personnel—that is, nondoctors, usually known as medics or corpsmen—were first widely used in such situations. It took many decades for the wartime model to be applied effectively to ordinary peacetime medicine. With advances in medical technology (such as defibrillators, for restarting a heart after a heart attack), paramedics became an essential part of emergency medicine, and today hundreds of thousands of people owe their lives to paramedics. Paraprofessionals who work only in hospitals and clinics usually go by other titles.

Examples of paramedic in a Sentence

Noun

She's training to be a paramedic.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Upon arrival, Riverside County Fire Department paramedics pronounced the passenger of the BMW, only identified as a 15-year-old, dead at the scene. — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026

Last week, the army announced criminal investigations into two other high-profile attacks by its troops in Gaza — the 2024 killing of 5-year-old Hind Rajab and her family, and the 2025 killing of 15 paramedics. — Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Municipal services were showcased, such as firefighter/paramedic expertise. — Karie Angell Luc, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026

Pasadena Fire Captain Matt Caffey, also a paramedic for 28 years, helped fight last year’s Eaton fire in Southern California and said the smoke exposure from burning neighborhoods brings on coughing, vomiting and brain fog. — ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1967, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for paramedic

• melchizedek
• medic

Kids Definition

paramedic

noun

para·​med·​ic ˌpar-ə-ˈmed-ik 

1

: a person who works in a health field by helping a physician (as by taking X-rays or giving injections)

2

: a specially trained person with a license to provide a wide range of emergency services (as the giving of intravenous drugs) before or during transport to a hospital

Etymology

Noun

from para- "alongside of, associated with in a secondary or assisting role" and medic "a person trained in or studying medical work"; para- derived from Greek para "beside, alongside of" and medic from Latin medicus "physician"

Medical Definition

paramedic

noun

para·​med·​ic ˌpar-ə-ˈmed-ik 

variants also paramedical

-i-kəl 

1

: a person who works in a health field in an auxiliary capacity to a physician (as by giving injections and taking X-rays)

2

: a specially trained medical technician certified to provide a wide range of emergency medical services (as defibrillation and the intravenous administration of drugs) before or during transport to the hospital compare emt