surgeon general
noun
plural surgeons general
: the chief medical officer of a branch of the armed services or of a public health service
Examples of surgeon general in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The dire situation prompted Dr. Vivek Murthy, then the U.S. surgeon general, to declare last year that social isolation and loneliness are a pressing health epidemic, on a par with smoking or obesity in terms of its detrimental effects.
—
John Hewko, Chicago Tribune, 7 Feb. 2025
Over the next few weeks, a new surgeon general will be confirmed, but the office will continue to carry the same weight.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025
Just over 11% of Americans smoke cigarettes, down from over 40% of U.S. adults in the mid-1960s, when the surgeon general issued an advisory about the dangers of smoking.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 26 Jan. 2025
The surgeon general’s warning comes at a time when the alcohol industry is struggling.
—Julie Creswell, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for surgeon general 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
John Hewko, Chicago Tribune, 7 Feb. 2025
Over the next few weeks, a new surgeon general will be confirmed, but the office will continue to carry the same weight.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025
Just over 11% of Americans smoke cigarettes, down from over 40% of U.S. adults in the mid-1960s, when the surgeon general issued an advisory about the dangers of smoking.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 26 Jan. 2025
The surgeon general’s warning comes at a time when the alcohol industry is struggling.
—Julie Creswell, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for surgeon general
Dictionary Entries Near surgeon general
Cite this Entry
“Surgeon general.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surgeon%20general. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share