hospital
noun
hos·pi·tal
ˈhä-(ˌ)spi-tᵊl 
often attributive
1
: a charitable institution for the needy, aged, infirm, or young
2
: an institution where the sick or injured are given medical or surgical care
—usually used in British English without an article after a preposition
3
: a repair shop for specified small objects
a clock hospital
Examples of hospital in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
First responders initially tried to resuscitate the man before he was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
—
Andrew Adeolu, CBS News, 4 Jan. 2026
Looking at the books of the three hospitals, one, Waterbury Hospital, was the bankrupt property of investors who were revealed as financially challenged during its bankruptcy proceedings.
—Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 3 Jan. 2026
One firefighter was injured battling the fire and taken to the hospital, the Denver Fire Department told ABC News.
—Jason Volack, ABC News, 3 Jan. 2026
Those who remain endure unreliable electricity, collapsing public services, high crime and chronic shortages in hospitals and schools.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hospital
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Andrew Adeolu, CBS News, 4 Jan. 2026
Looking at the books of the three hospitals, one, Waterbury Hospital, was the bankrupt property of investors who were revealed as financially challenged during its bankruptcy proceedings.
—Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 3 Jan. 2026
One firefighter was injured battling the fire and taken to the hospital, the Denver Fire Department told ABC News.
—Jason Volack, ABC News, 3 Jan. 2026
Those who remain endure unreliable electricity, collapsing public services, high crime and chronic shortages in hospitals and schools.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hospital
Cite this Entry
“Hospital.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hospital. Accessed 5 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hospital
noun
hos·pi·tal
ˈhäs-ˌpit-ᵊl
: an institution where the sick or injured are given medical or surgical care
Etymology
Middle English hospital "a stopping place for travelers, a place that cares for people too old, sick, or poor to care for themselves," from early French hospital (same meaning), derived from Latin hospitale "hospice, guest house," from hospitalis "of a guest," from hospit-, hospes "host, stranger, guest," from hostis "stranger, enemy" — related to hospitality, host entry 1, host entry 2, hostile, hotel
Medical Definition
hospital
noun
hos·pi·tal
ˈhäs-ˌpit-ᵊl
often attributive
1
: a charitable institution for the needy, aged, infirm, or young
2
a
: an institution where the sick or injured are given medical or surgical care
—when used in British English following a preposition, the article is usually omitted
came and saw me in hospital—Robert Graves
Robert Graves
b
: a place for the care and treatment of sick and injured animals
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