medical examiner

noun

: a usually appointed public officer whose duties are similar to those of a coroner but who is typically required to have specific medical training (as in pathology) and is qualified to conduct medical examinations and autopsies

Examples of medical examiner in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The county document is a running list that informs the public which deaths are under active investigation by the medical examiner's office and provides a case number for each death. —Karen Cortes, NBC news, 26 Jan. 2026

Gennadiy Potupchik, 34, died in the hospital of a gunshot wound to the torso, according to the medical examiner’s office. —Elissa Jorgensen, Dallas Morning News, 26 Jan. 2026

The Cook County medical examiner’s office listed Arnold’s cause of death as multiple gunshot wounds and ruled the case a homicide. —Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026

The defense read back testimony from the medical examiner, who has since died and performed Quatisha’s autopsy. —Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 26 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1877, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for medical examiner

• interlaminar
• laminar

Medical Definition

medical examiner

noun

1

: a usually appointed public officer with duties similar to those of a coroner but who is required to have specific medical training (as in pathology) and is qualified to conduct medical examinations and autopsies

2

: a physician employed to make medical examinations (as of applicants for military service or of claimants of workers' compensation)

3

: a physician appointed to examine and license candidates for the practice of medicine in a political jurisdiction (as a state)

Legal Definition

medical examiner

noun

med·​i·​cal examiner

: a public officer who determines the necessity of and conducts autopsies