paramedic

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

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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

These contract terms have been applied to bank workers, salespeople, dog groomers, police officers, aestheticians, firefighters, mechanics, nurses, federal employees, electricians, roofers, social workers, paramedics, truckers, mortgage brokers, teachers and metal polishers. —Robin Kaiser-Schatzlein, New York Times, 20 Nov. 2023

Garver said the baby had been fine just 40 minutes before paramedics arrived Oct. 1 at their home in Sugarloaf, near Big Bear. —Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2023

McClain was later injected with a fatal overdose of ketamine by paramedics. —Tim Stelloh, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2023

Like in that sleepover game, Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board, multiple paramedics crowded around to lift Paul’s prone body. —Emma Cline, The New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2023

Two paramedics who treated McClain, Jeremy Cooper, 48, and Peter Cichuniec, 50, are set to go on trial in the coming weeks. —Eric Levenson, CNN, 17 Oct. 2023

The scene was so bad when authorities first arrived that a paramedic who responded developed a rash and had to be medically evaluated, Cooper said. —Mark Osborne, ABC News, 8 Nov. 2023

During the trial, Woodyard’s attorneys attempted to shift blame onto paramedics Jeremy Cooper and Peter Cichuniec, who are set to face trial later this month. —Liam Quinn, Peoplemag, 7 Nov. 2023

Others at the party prevented paramedics from tending to the unconscious man, the paper reported, but the paramedics called the police and the priests relented. —Andrew Higgins, New York Times, 24 Oct. 2023

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Word History

First Known Use

1967, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

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