as in inpatients
a person who goes to a doctor's office or hospital for treatment but who does not spend the night there
—often used before another noun
outpatient surgery It was a minor procedure that could be performed at an outpatient clinic.
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Recent Examples of outpatients
When people were also treated with a long-acting form of an opioid-blocking medication called naltrexone, relapse rates dropped across all settings — to 59% after short-term inpatient care, 46% after long-term inpatient care and 38% for those treated as outpatients.
—
Emma Fenske, The Conversation, 12 Feb. 2026
Xofluza is not recommended during pregnancy, while breastfeeding, for outpatients with complicated or progressive illness, severely immunosuppressed people or hospitalized patients, because of the lack of information on its use for these groups.
—Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 26 Dec. 2025
On November 21, CMS updated Medicare payment policies and rates for hospital outpatients and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) services in 2026.
—Lauren Giella, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Nov. 2025
In 2023 about 88% of Weiss’ inpatients and nearly 67% of its outpatients were on Medicare or Medicaid, according to the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board.
—Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 8 Aug. 2025
Emma Fenske, The Conversation, 12 Feb. 2026
Xofluza is not recommended during pregnancy, while breastfeeding, for outpatients with complicated or progressive illness, severely immunosuppressed people or hospitalized patients, because of the lack of information on its use for these groups.
—Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 26 Dec. 2025
On November 21, CMS updated Medicare payment policies and rates for hospital outpatients and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) services in 2026.
—Lauren Giella, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Nov. 2025
In 2023 about 88% of Weiss’ inpatients and nearly 67% of its outpatients were on Medicare or Medicaid, according to the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board.
—Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outpatients
Noun
-
In that time, the number of people admitted to hospitals in the state as inpatients due to heat increased 60%, from 990 to 1,578.—
Joan Meiners,
AZCentral.com,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Outpatient services at the neighboring hospital were suspended and around 3,500 inpatients were evacuated, per the Post.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Hospitals and emergency rooms remained open, and patients there were receiving proper care, the university said in the statement.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Feb. 2026
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So far, its children’s hospital hasn’t admitted any measles patients, doctors said.—
Jennifer Berry Hawes,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Outpatients.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outpatients. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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