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Added 9 October 2026

hospital

/ˈhɒs.pɪ.tl̩/ noun

In Latin: nosocomīum, valētūdinārium, infirmaria Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about hospital at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A health facility where patients receive treatment.
A medical institution where sick or injured people are given medical or surgical care.

Origin

From Middle English hospital, hospitall, from Old French hospital (Modern French hôpital), from Late Latin hospitālis, hospitāle (“hospice, shelter, guesthouse”), from noun use of Latin hospitālis (“hospitable”), from hospes (“host, guest”). Doublet of hotel and hostel. Displaced native Middle English lechehous, from Old English lǣċehūs (literally “doctor house”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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