paramedic

noun

Save Word

para·med·ic | \ ˌper-ə-ˈme-dik

, ˌpa-rə- \

variants: or less commonly paramedical \ ˌper-ə-ˈme-di-kəl

, ˌpa-rə- \

Definition of paramedic

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

The History of Paramedic Example Sentences Learn More About paramedic

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

She's training to be a paramedic.

Recent Examples on the Web At the Polish border station of Medyka, a paramedic from Warsaw helped set out a traditional Easter breakfast with ham, cheese and Easter cakes for some of the latest refugees from Ukraine, the majority of whom have streamed into neighboring Poland. — Frances D'emilio, chicagotribune.com, 17 Apr. 2022 At the Polish border station of Medyka, a paramedic from Warsaw helped set out a traditional Easter breakfast with ham, cheese and Easter cakes for some of the latest refugees from Ukraine, the majority of whom have streamed into neighboring Poland. — Time, 17 Apr. 2022 One paramedic said some of those who hurried into surrounding neighborhoods were bloodied or bruised, but still limped away in their desperation to escape. — Fox News, 11 Dec. 2021 Associated Press photographer Evgeniy Maloletka helps a paramedic to transport a woman injured during shelling in Mariupol. — NBC News, 22 Mar. 2022 One paramedic said some of those who hurried into surrounding neighborhoods were bloodied or bruised, but still limped away in their desperation to escape. — Fox News, 11 Dec. 2021 One paramedic said some of those who hurried into surrounding neighborhoods were bloodied or bruised, but still limped away in their desperation to escape. — BostonGlobe.com, 10 Dec. 2021 One paramedic said some of those who hurried into surrounding neighborhoods were bloodied or bruised, but still limped away in their desperation to escape. — Manuel De La Cruz And Edgar H. Clemente, orlandosentinel.com, 10 Dec. 2021 One paramedic said some of those who hurried into surrounding neighborhoods were bloodied or bruised, but still limped away in their desperation to escape. — Manuel De La Cruz And Edgar H. Clemente, Anchorage Daily News, 10 Dec. 2021 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'paramedic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

12 May 2022

Cite this Entry

“Paramedic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paramedic. Accessed 25 May. 2022.

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More Definitions for paramedic

paramedic

noun

para·med·ic | \ ˌper-ə-ˈme-dik

Kids Definition of paramedic

: a person specially trained to care for a patient before or during the trip to a hospital

paramedic

noun

para·med·ic | \ ˌpar-ə-ˈmed-ik

variants: also paramedical \ -i-kəl

Medical Definition of paramedic

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