anti-physician
|an-ti-phy-si-cian|
🇺🇸
/ˌænti fɪˈzɪʃən/
🇬🇧
/ˌænti fɪˈzɪʃ(ə)n/
against doctors
Etymology
'anti-physician' originates from Modern English formation combining the prefix 'anti-' (ultimately from Greek 'anti') meaning 'against' with the noun 'physician' (see below).
'physician' entered English via Old French 'fisicien' from Latin 'physicus' and Greek 'physikos' meaning 'natural' or 'natural philosopher'; over time 'physician' narrowed to mean a medical doctor. The prefix 'anti-' comes from Greek 'anti-' meaning 'against' and has been used in English as a productive prefix since Middle English/Modern English to form compounds such as 'anti-war' or 'anti-social', producing 'anti-physician' in modern usage.
Initially, elements meant 'against' (anti-) and 'one concerned with nature/medicine' (physician); the compound developed to mean specifically 'against physicians' or 'hostile to doctors' in modern contexts.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person who is opposed to physicians or hostile to the medical profession or medical doctors.
He has become an anti-physician, refusing to consult doctors even for serious conditions.
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Adjective 1
characterized by opposition to physicians; expressing hostility or distrust toward doctors or the practice of medicine.
There is growing anti-physician sentiment in some communities where alternative therapies are promoted.
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Last updated: 2025/11/14 00:55