clinic

1 of 2

noun

clin·​ic ˈkli-nik 

1

: a class of medical instruction in which patients are examined and discussed

2

: a group meeting devoted to the analysis and solution of concrete problems or to the acquiring of specific skills or knowledge

writing clinics

golf clinics

3

a

: a facility (as of a hospital) for diagnosis and treatment of outpatients

b

: a group practice in which several physicians work cooperatively

4

: a facility that offers professional services or consultation usually at discounted rates

a legal clinic

5

: an exemplary display or performance

put on a clinic in the tournament

-clinic

2 of 2

adjective combining form

1

: inclining : dipping

2

: having (so many) oblique intersections of the axes

triclinic

Examples of clinic in a Sentence

Noun

The clinic is offering free screening for diabetes.

He checked into a drug rehab clinic.

The hospital is holding a pain clinic on Tuesday night for anyone interested in learning how to deal with chronic pain.

A local club is giving a fishing clinic on Saturday.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

And Samaritan’s Purse just committed to help with a community clinic and resilience center. —Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 5 June 2025

Read All About It A Washington state man was charged with providing large amounts of chemicals used in a car bomb outside a Palm Springs, California, fertility clinic last month. —Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 5 June 2025

Both men are believed to have targeted the fertility clinic because of their anti pro-life ideology, Essayli said. —Nicquel Terry Ellis, CNN Money, 4 June 2025

Take, for example, an AI agent handling calls for a mental health clinic: if the caller seems particularly distressed, the agent should immediately escalate the case to a human professional. —Aytekin Tank, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French clinique, from Greek klinikē medical practice at the sickbed, from feminine of klinikos of a bed, from klinē bed, from klinein to lean, recline — more at lean

Adjective combining form

International Scientific Vocabulary, from Greek klinein

First Known Use

Noun

1827, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing clinic

• put on a clinic

Rhymes for clinic

• clinic
• cynic
• linac
• pinnock
• baroclinic
• monoclinic
• polyclinic
• rabbinic
• triclinic

Kids Definition

clinic

noun

clin·​ic ˈklin-ik 

1

: a class of medical instruction in which patients are examined and discussed

2

: a group meeting for teaching a certain skill and working on individual problems

a reading clinic

3

: a place for the treatment of people needing medical help who do not stay overnight

Etymology

Noun

from French clinique "medical instruction at a hospital bed," from Greek klinikē "medical practice at a sickbed," derived from klinē "bed," from klinein "to lean, recline" — related to climate, climax

Medical Definition

clinic

noun

clin·​ic ˈklin-ik 

1

a

: a session or class of medical instruction in a hospital held at the bedside of patients serving as case studies

b

: a group of selected patients presented with discussion before doctors (as at a convention) for purposes of instruction

2

a

: an institution connected with a hospital or medical school where diagnosis and treatment are made available to outpatients

b

: a form of group practice in which several physicians (as specialists) work in cooperative association