orthopedic

adjective

or·​tho·​pe·​dic ˌȯr-thə-ˈpē-dik 

variants or less commonly orthopaedic

1

: of, relating to, or employed in orthopedics

an orthopedic surgeon

orthopedic shoes

2

: marked by or affected with a skeletal deformity, disorder, or injury

an orthopedic condition

people with orthopedic problems

orthopedically

ˌȯr-thə-ˈpē-di-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Examples of orthopedic in a Sentence

She was wearing orthopedic shoes.

Recent Examples on the Web

Newsweek spoke to pediatric orthopedic surgeon Dr. Claire Shannon of the Paley Orthopedic and Spine Institute at St. Mary's Medical Center, who said that women's hips are typically wider and shaped differently than men's due to structural differences in the pelvis. —Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2025

Good habits can protect your back, too, said Dr. Patricia Zheng, an associate professor in the orthopedic surgery department at University of California San Francisco. —Jancee Dunn, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025

The Novant Health Performance Center project, scheduled to begin construction this week, will feature more than 160,000 total square feet of space for training and performance, administrative offices, retail, orthopedic and sports medicine care once completed. —Sportico Staff, Sportico.com, 28 Mar. 2025

Riley began manufacturing athletic shoes in 1938 for track and field athletes for the Brown Bag Harriers sports club, and soon became sought after for the incredible support and comfort his orthopedic technologies offered. —Kristina Rutkowski, Vogue, 27 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French orthopédique, from orthopédie orthopedics, from orth- + Greek paid-, pais child — more at few

First Known Use

1829, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for orthopedic

• glycosidic
• orthopaedic
• comedic
• encyclopaedic
• encyclopedic

Kids Definition

orthopedic

adjective

or·​tho·​pe·​dic ˌȯr-thə-ˈpēd-ik 

1

: of, relating to, or used in orthopedics

2

: marked by or affected with skeletal deformity, disorder, or injury

Medical Definition

orthopedic

adjective

or·​tho·​pe·​dic

variants or chiefly British orthopaedic

ˌȯr-thə-ˈpēd-ik 

1

: of, relating to, or employed in orthopedics

orthopedic surgery

orthopedic casts

2

: marked by or affected with a deformity, disorder, or injury of the skeleton and associated structures

orthopedically adverb

or chiefly British orthopaedically

-ˈpēd-i-k(ə-)lē