Is medical formal or informal?

It is neutral and common in both formal and everyday English.

What's the difference between medical and clinical?

Medical is broader. Clinical often means directly connected to treating patients or hospital practice.

Can I say medical report?

Yes. It is a common phrase for a doctor’s written report.

Is medical used before nouns?

Yes. We often say medical care, medical test, or medical advice.

← Dictionary

medical

/ˈmed.ɪ.kəl/

IELTSAcademic

adjective

Relating to illness, treatment, and doctors. It describes things used in healthcare or connected with medicine.

She needs medical care after the accident.
The hospital gave him medical advice.
This form asks for your medical history.

Adinary Nuance

Medical is broader than doctor-related words like "clinical" or "surgical". Use medical for health, treatment, hospitals, and medicine in general. It is more common in everyday and academic English than many close near-neighbors.

In other languages

Vietnamese: y tế
Spanish: médico
Chinese: 医疗的
Japanese: 医療の
Korean: 의료의

Etymology

Medical comes from Latin medicus, meaning 'doctor' or 'healing'. It entered English through French in the late Middle Ages.

Common phrases

medical caremedical check-upmedical historymedical treatment

Synonyms

health-related clinical therapeutic

Frequently asked questions

Is medical formal or informal?: It is neutral and common in both formal and everyday English.
What's the difference between medical and clinical?: Medical is broader. Clinical often means directly connected to treating patients or hospital practice.
Can I say medical report?: Yes. It is a common phrase for a doctor’s written report.
Is medical used before nouns?: Yes. We often say medical care, medical test, or medical advice.