practitioner

noun

prac·​ti·​tion·​er prak-ˈti-sh(ə-)nər 

1

: one who practices

especially : one who practices a profession

2

Christian Science : an authorized healer

Synonyms

• exponent
• interpreter

Examples of practitioner in a Sentence

a French doctor who was once the most famous practitioner of natural childbirth

Recent Examples on the Web

For practitioners, the message is clear: formal compliance with appraisal requirements is not enough if the Tax Court judge concludes that the facts do not support the claimed value. —Peter J Reilly, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025

Elite sport is often an arena where its practitioners are forced to put up barriers. —Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 22 July 2025

The conventional wisdom is that late-night television is doomed, whether Colbert is one of its practitioners or not. —Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 21 July 2025

With the sheer number of chemicals involved in nineteenth-century photography, practitioners had a host of novel and exciting ways to injure themselves. —Anika Burgess july 17, Literary Hub, 17 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

alteration of earlier practician, from Middle English (Scots) pratician, from Middle French practicien, from pratique practice

First Known Use

1535, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing practitioner

• family practitioner
• general practitioner
• medical practitioner
• nurse practitioner

Rhymes for practitioner

• commissioner
• conditioner
• parishioner
• petitioner
• positioner
• missioner

Kids Definition

practitioner

noun

prac·​ti·​tio·​ner

prak-ˈtish-(ə-)nər

: a person who practices a profession and especially law or medicine

Medical Definition

practitioner

noun

prac·​ti·​tion·​er prak-ˈtish-(ə-)nər 

: one who practices a profession and especially medicine