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

The New Story clinic now open there is fully equipped and staffed — entirely by licensed medical volunteers, including two doctors, one physician assistant and a registered nurse. —Mona Darwish, Oc Register, 27 Feb. 2026

Tarassova represents a young mother who was injected with dermal filler under her eye at an Orlando med spa by a physician assistant who failed to warn her of the potential for vision loss. —Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2026

Also confidential is information on which doctors and physician assistants licensed in this state have participated in substance abuse treatment programs like the North Carolina Professionals Health Program. —Amber Gaudet updated February 23, Charlotte Observer, 23 Feb. 2026

Just five staff members support roughly 80 volunteers, including doctors, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. —Daniel Wilkerson, CBS News, 10 Feb. 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