adjective
ambulatory
AM-byuh-luh-tor-ee
Ambulatory (adjective) means In medicine, able to walk, or provided without an overnight stay — as in ambulatory care. Example: “The patient was ambulatory within a day.”
adjective
1
In medicine, able to walk, or provided without an overnight stay — as in ambulatory care.
"The patient was ambulatory within a day."
"Most procedures are now ambulatory."
noun
1
technical A covered walkway, particularly the aisle running around the end of a church behind the altar.
"The chapels open off the ambulatory."
How to Use Ambulatory
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAble to walk, or treatment that does not need an overnight stay.
Common pairings
ambulatory care
ambulatory surgery
fully ambulatory
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The patient was _____ within a day.
Etymology
From Latin "ambulare," to walk.
Rhymes for ambulatory
See all rhymes for ambulatory →Frequently Asked Questions
What does ambulatory mean in medicine?
Two related things: a patient who is able to walk, and care delivered without an overnight admission. An ambulatory surgery centre treats people who go home the same day.
What is ambulatory care?
Medical care given without admitting the patient to a hospital bed — outpatient clinics, day surgery, diagnostics and routine treatment.