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 medical examiner — most every procedural series has one, cutting into corpses, analyzing stomach contents, pointing out bullet holes and strange residues and the effects of blunt force trauma. —Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026

And the motivation of that, deep inside, which seems to be similar (for) a lot of medical examiners, is the idea of accuracy and control over death, knowing why or how. —Erin Jensen, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026

Aaron Pickens, 36, was shot and killed early Thursday morning in Sauk Village, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. —Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026

The investigation marks Kay Scarpetta’s first since returning to her previous longtime job as chief medical examiner for the Commonwealth of Virginia, following time in Boston. —Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 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