physician assistant

noun

: a person certified to provide basic medical services usually under the supervision of a licensed physician

called also PA, physician's assistant

Examples of physician assistant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Eight groups sued, representing nurse practitioners, therapists, public health workers, speech language pathologists, physician assistants and more. — Heather Hollingsworth, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026

Eight groups sued, representing nurse practitioners, therapists, public health workers, speech language pathologists, physician assistants and more. — ABC News, 25 June 2026

Her plan after graduation was to take a gap year with the intention of going to physician assistant school. — Kansas City Star, 18 June 2026

The bill specifies that nurse practitioners and physician assistants can sign off on do-not-resuscitate and POLST forms, as well as doctors. — Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 1 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1958, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for physician assistant

• coexistent
• equidistant
• inconsistent
• nonexistent
• preexistent
• consistent
• existent
• insistent
• persistent
• resistant
• subsistent
• distant

Medical Definition

physician assistant

noun

physician as·​sis·​tant

-ə-ˈsis-tənt

variants also physician's assistant

: a specially trained person who is certified to provide basic medical services (as the diagnosis and treatment of common ailments) usually under the supervision of a licensed physician

called also PA