health care
noun
variants
or healthcare
ˈhelth-ˌker 
also ˈheltth-
1
: efforts made to maintain, restore, or promote someone's physical, mental, or emotional well-being especially when performed by trained and licensed professionals
affordable health care
single-payer/universal health care
Health care is about keeping people healthy or fixing them up when they get sick.—
Ezekiel J. Emanuel
Ezekiel J. Emanuel… has invested more than $500 million to improve access to quality healthcare in rural America …—Bemidji Pioneer (online)
Bemidji Pioneer (online)… the wearable [device] market is empowering people to take charge of their own healthcare.—Rebecca Bellan
—sometimes hyphenated when used before another nounRebecca Bellanhealth-care costs
Residents receive their meals, assistance with medications, … limited health-care services, supervision and companionship.—Jere Daniel
Jere Daniel2
: the people and organizations that provide health care
jobs in health care
The charges speak to some of the problems that face healthcare …—Dave Newbart
—sometimes hyphenated when used before another nounDave Newbarthealth-care workers
the health-care system/industry
Examples of health care in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
According to the campaign, volunteers will speak with voters about Bottoms' priorities, including protecting voting rights in Georgia, lowering costs for families, expanding Medicaid, and increasing access to affordable health care.
—CBS News, 19 May 2026
The sponsors of House Bill 1430 boldly admit that our transportation taxes have been hijacked to pay for education and health care, and that taking those funds out of the legislature’s cookie jar will create shortfalls.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 19 May 2026
The jobs gaining openings—health care, food preparation, physical maintenance—are harder to enter without credentials or physical presence.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 19 May 2026
However his attitude on health care and taxes places Newsom at odds with advocates for poor Californians who would be affected and their allies in the Legislature, many of whom want a tax increase.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for health care
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CBS News, 19 May 2026
The sponsors of House Bill 1430 boldly admit that our transportation taxes have been hijacked to pay for education and health care, and that taking those funds out of the legislature’s cookie jar will create shortfalls.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 19 May 2026
The jobs gaining openings—health care, food preparation, physical maintenance—are harder to enter without credentials or physical presence.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 19 May 2026
However his attitude on health care and taxes places Newsom at odds with advocates for poor Californians who would be affected and their allies in the Legislature, many of whom want a tax increase.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for health care
Cite this Entry
“Health care.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/health%20care. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
health care
noun
variants
or healthcare
1
: efforts to maintain, restore, or promote someone's physical, mental, or emotional well-being especially when performed by trained and licensed professionals (as in medicine, dentistry, clinical psychology, and public health)
American health care is at a crossroads. Rapidly advancing forms of technology are dramatically improving lives. Simultaneously, U.S. citizens face enormous inefficiencies, escalating costs, uneven quality, disparities in health care, and rising numbers of uninsured people.—William H. Frist, The New England Journal of Medicine
William H. Frist, The New England Journal of MedicineSeveral reviews … reflect that telemedicine can substantially improve the quality of healthcare even under COVID-19 restrictions and measures.—Elliot Mbunge et al., Sensors International
—sometimes hyphenated when used before another nounElliot Mbunge et al., Sensors Internationalhealth-care coverage
2
: the personnel and organizations that provide health care
In the attempt to prevent the spread of a viral infection to and from healthcare workers, the health community generally relies on the efficacy of personal protective equipment (PPE): gloves, masks, respirators, goggles, face shields, and gowns.—Ivo Boskoski et al., Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
—sometimes hyphenated when used before another nounIvo Boskoski et al., Gastrointestinal Endoscopyhealth-care providers
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