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
Experts say this new rule will raise health care costs for transgender people and possibly encourage health insurance companies to deny claims involving gender-affirming care, since the Trump administration is taking so many actions to oppose it.
—Orion Rummler, Them., 18 Apr. 2025
Pincus filed a brief on behalf of the American Public Health Association, which argued that invalidating the mandate could increase the cost of preventive care and the cost of health care overall, as patients would delay treatment for preventable diseases and emergencies.
—Joseph Choi, The Hill, 18 Apr. 2025
Medicaid is the primary program providing health care to lower-income individuals in the U.S., with over 80 million currently enrolled.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
Ariane Lange’s reporting was undertaken as part of the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism 2024 Data Fellowship, focused on health care, health equity and child well-being.
—Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for health care
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Orion Rummler, Them., 18 Apr. 2025
Pincus filed a brief on behalf of the American Public Health Association, which argued that invalidating the mandate could increase the cost of preventive care and the cost of health care overall, as patients would delay treatment for preventable diseases and emergencies.
—Joseph Choi, The Hill, 18 Apr. 2025
Medicaid is the primary program providing health care to lower-income individuals in the U.S., with over 80 million currently enrolled.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
Ariane Lange’s reporting was undertaken as part of the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism 2024 Data Fellowship, focused on health care, health equity and child well-being.
—Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 17 Apr. 2025
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 23 Apr. 2025.
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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