inpatient

inpatient — noun

1. a person who receives medical treatment while staying overnight or longer at a h

1.名詞B2
釋義

a person who receives medical treatment while staying overnight or longer at a hospital, rather than visiting for a short appointment and then going home.

例句

Sari's doctor recommended she become an inpatient for the heart surgery.

collocation: become an inpatient

After the accident, Gabriel spent three days as an inpatient at the city hospital.

collocation: spend time as an inpatient

同義詞
  • patient

    broader term for anyone receiving medical care; an inpatient is a specific type of patient who stays overnight

  • hospital patient

    nearly synonymous but includes outpatients who visit the hospital briefly; inpatient specifically means a patient who stays overnight

反義詞
  • outpatient

    a patient who visits a clinic or hospital for treatment but does not stay overnight

文法句型

[countable] noun

用法筆記

The word implies an overnight or longer stay. Contrasts with outpatient, who visits a hospital or clinic for treatment without staying overnight. Common in medical records, insurance forms, and hospital administration.

常見錯誤

❌The doctor saw me as an inpatient for a quick check-up.
✅The doctor saw me as an outpatient for a quick check-up.
💡An inpatient stays overnight; a check-up without a stay makes you an outpatient.
❌I was an inpatient at the clinic for two hours.
✅I was an inpatient at the hospital for two nights.
💡An inpatient stays at least one night; a short visit makes you an outpatient.