Etimology
Borrowed from French médical, from Medieval Latin medicālis, from Latin medicus. Replaced Old English lǣċe (“doctor (physician)”), which is cognate with Icelandic læknir (“doctor”).
adjective
medical (not generally comparable, comparative more medical, superlative most medical)
Of or pertaining to the practice of medicine.
Intended to have a therapeutic effect; medicinal.
Requiring medical treatment.
Pertaining to the state of one's health.
Pertaining to or requiring treatment by other than surgical means.
Pertaining to medication specifically (that is, pharmacotherapy), rather than to other aspects of medicine and surgery.
Examples
medical doctor; medical student
Do you have any medical experience?
The US supreme court has ruled unanimously that natural human genes cannot be patented, a decision that scientists and civil rights campaigners said removed a major barrier to patient care and medical innovation.
medical marijuana; medical cannabis; medical treatment
A costly medical condition can bankrupt you if it doesn't kill you first.
medical examinaton; medical exemption; medical history; medical record; medical diagnosis
medical ward
medical oncology, radiation oncology, and surgical oncology
surgical therapy only when medical therapy fails
Related words
synonyms
(medicinal): curative, therapeutic
related terms
medicational
noun
medical (plural medicals)
(informal) A medical examination.
(archaic) A medical practitioner.
Examples
You'll have to get a medical before you apply for that job.
After completing a medical and the requisite paperwork on Tuesday to seal the deal, Di María said: “I am absolutely delighted to be joining Manchester United. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in Spain and there were a lot of clubs interested in me, but United is the only club that I would have left Real Madrid for.
All UK train drivers must undergo a medical every three years up to the age of 54, and annually from then on.
We medicals have a better way than that. When we dislike a friend of ours, we dissect him.
There was the school of simplicity, socialism, and universal love, the head of which was a Quixotic Diogenes called Mêh-tsz or Meccius ; the school of denominationalists, or pedantic adherents to the letter of absolutely defined principles; the legists, or partisans of a system of repression and punishment ; the astrologists, or believers in occult influences; the medicals or elixirists; the sensualists; and many others, recalling to our minds the various divisions of Greek philosophy at the same period.
Related words
related terms
medicate
medicine