socialized medicine

noun

|Updated on: 8 Jun 2018

Definition of socialized medicine

: medical and hospital services for the members of a class or population administered by an organized group (such as a state agency) and paid for from funds obtained usually by assessments, philanthropy, or taxation

See socialized medicine defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of socialized medicine from the Web

The Democrat candidates are talking universal health care, Medicare for all, single payer, socialized medicine.

— reid j. epstein, WSJ, "Health Law Is Back as Campaign Issue—This Time for Democrats," 11 May 2018
In America, in particular, conservatives have used the Alfie Evans case as a rallying cry to condemn socialized medicine and government intervention more broadly.

— tara isabella burton, Vox, "The controversy surrounding terminally ill British toddler Alfie Evans, explained," 27 Apr. 2018
The sacrifice of a small child on the altar of socialized medicine.

— Fox News, "Nigel Farage talks Alfie Evans and Britain's medical system," 28 Apr. 2018
Meanwhile, the party’s top presidential prospects have been racing to pledge their allegiance to socialized medicine, free public college, universal child care, and paid family leave.

— eric levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "Affluent Democrats Aren’t an Obstacle to Economic Populism," 20 Apr. 2018
Shulkin, like most veterans groups, preferred to take a gradual approach to reform; the hard-liners want rapid action to free our servicemen and women from the horrors of socialized medicine.

— eric levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "Trump Replaces Veterans Affairs Secretary With His Personal Doctor," 28 Mar. 2018
More than single payer, this is actually socialized medicine.

— david dayen, New Republic, "This Week’s Other Looming Health Care Crisis," 25 Sep. 2017
As a Medicare-style program, single-payer is socialized medicine in the sense that the government, acting on behalf of society, takes responsibility for the health of all, but not in a strictly Marxist sense of the term.

— jay cost, National Review, "Why Medicare for All Would Damage our Republic," 18 Sep. 2017
That’s why Republicans are once again trying to eke out a narrow win on a bill that slows but doesn’t reverse the ongoing march to socialized medicine.

— michael tanner, National Review, "Graham-Cassidy Is a Too-Mild Improvement on Obamacare," 20 Sep. 2017

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

First Known Use of socialized medicine

1912

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler