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

An autopsy by a Georgia Bureau of Investigation medical examiner concluded his death was a homicide. —CBS News, 21 Nov. 2025

And the medical examiner's office in Miami-Dade County is handling the autopsy, although no cause and manner of death have been determined as of Wednesday morning. —Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 19 Nov. 2025

Across the country, medical examiner and coroner offices—our first line of defense in understanding what’s killing Americans—are unable to detect many of the compounds fueling the next phase of the overdose crisis. —Dr. Shravani Durbhakula, Time, 19 Nov. 2025

The Miami-Dade medical examiner has not specified a cause or manner of her death. —Brian Hartman, ABC News, 19 Nov. 2025

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