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Commonly Confused Words
Doctor/Physician
Master confusing words with ease
She/He
Citizen/Resident
Forceful/Forcible
Chow/Ciao
Doctor vs. Physician
Doctor
/ˈdɒktə/
Learn more about synonyms and antonyms
A person who is qualified to treat people who are ill or hurt; also, someone holding the highest university degree
Examples:
She was treated by her local
doctor
.
Doctors
near doctors.
"Oh, Doctor Keene!" The
doctor
heard him, and turned around.
Synonyms:
physician
medic
surgeon
specialist
Antonyms:
This word has no antonyms
Learn more about synonyms and antonyms
Physician
/fəˈzɪʃən/
Learn more about synonyms and antonyms
A person who is trained and licensed to treat sick and injured people, especially one who practices medicine as a job
Examples:
The exasperated
physician
shouted: "Hold your peace!
He adopted the bedside manner of a family
physician
.
"You must not worry," the head
physician
said.
Synonyms:
doctor
medic
Antonyms:
This word has no antonyms
Learn more about synonyms and antonyms
Ways to tell them apart:
Both
doctor
and
physician
refer to medical professionals, but they have nuanced distinctions.
The term
doctor
is broader and can refer to anyone who has earned a doctoral degree, not just in medicine.
A
physician
specifically refers to someone trained and licensed to practice medicine.
While all physicians are doctors, not all doctors are physicians due to the broader use of
doctor
.
Remember that
physician
relates strictly to medical practice, whereas
doctor
can be academic or medical.
When to use doctor:
When to use physician:
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