obstetrician

IPA/ˌɒbstəˈtrɪʃn/
KK[ˌɑbstətrˈɪʃən]IPA/ˌɑːbstəˈtrɪʃn/

obstetrician — noun

  • obstetriciansingular
  • obstetriciansplural

1. a medical doctor trained to look after women during pregnancy and to deliver the

1.nounC2
Definition

a medical doctor trained to look after women during pregnancy and to deliver their babies.

Example

Brooke met her obstetrician after the baby started kicking more often.

pattern: meet your obstetrician during pregnancy

At twenty weeks, Felix asked the obstetrician about the twins' growth.

pattern: ask the obstetrician about the baby's growth

Common collocations
  • see an obstetrician
  • call the obstetrician
  • ask your obstetrician
  • obstetrician appointment
  • consultant obstetrician
Synonyms
  • OB-GYN

    close American term; often broader because it also includes gynecology

  • gynecologist

    related but wider; not every gynecologist delivers babies

  • maternity doctor

    descriptive everyday phrase rather than a standard formal title

Grammar Patterns

see an obstetrician

call the obstetrician

ask your obstetrician

work as an obstetrician

Usage Note

Usually refers to a specialist who manages pregnancy and childbirth. An obstetrician may also be an OB-GYN, but a gynecologist can treat women's reproductive health outside pregnancy as well.

Common Mistakes

My obstetrician checked my sore throat.
My family doctor checked my sore throat.
obstetricians focus on pregnancy and childbirth, not general illnesses.
She sees an obstetrician for her yearly cervical screening.
She sees a gynecologist for her yearly cervical screening.
routine reproductive care outside pregnancy is usually handled by a gynecologist.

Word family

  • obstetrics
    nounC2
  • obstetric
    adjectiveC2
  • obstetrical
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Obstetrician is the most exact formal term for a doctor who manages pregnancy and childbirth. Gynecologist is related, but it is broader because gynecologists also treat women's reproductive health when a patient is not pregnant. In American English, OB-GYN is common and often refers to one doctor who does both jobs. Midwife is different again: a midwife is trained for pregnancy and birth care, but is not usually a medical doctor. Doctor is the broad everyday word and does not tell you what kind of specialist the person is. Compare We called the obstetrician when the contractions became regular with Her gynecologist treats her yearly hormone problems.

obstetrician ↗gynecologistOB-GYNmidwife ↗doctor ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • consultant obstetrician
  • attending obstetrician
  • obstetrician appointment

Phrases

  • see an obstetrician
  • call your obstetrician
  • ask the obstetrician

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Obstetrician came into English from obstetrics. The older root goes back to Latin obstare, meaning 'to stand before' or 'attend', linked to the person helping at a birth. English later added the ending -ian to name the medical specialist.