Standard Lemma guide

ambulatory

adj · noun · 11 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American: /ˈam.bjə.ləˌtoɹ.i/
  • General-American: /-bjʊ-/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • UK: /ˌæm.bjəˈleɪ.tɹi/
  • CMU ARPABET: AE1 M B Y AH0 L AH0 T AO2 R IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of, relating to, or adapted to walking.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • ambulatory exercise

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Able to walk about and not bedridden.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: comparable

Topics: medicine, sciences

Examples

  • an ambulatory patient

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: astir, up and about

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Performed on or involving an outpatient.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: medicine, sciences

Examples

  • an ambulatory electrocardiogram
  • ambulatory medical care

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Relating to ambulances.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: medicine, sciences

Examples

  • ambulatory fleet

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adj

Meaning 5

Accustomed to move from place to place; not stationary; movable.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • an ambulatory court, which exercises its jurisdiction in different places

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: astir, mobile, ambulatory, animate, kinetic, motile, motive, movable, vagile

Antonyms: none provided

6

adj

Meaning 6

Not yet legally fixed or settled; alterable.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: law

Examples

  • The dispositions of a will are ambulatory until the death of the testator.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

The semicircular walkway behind the altar and apse in many cathedrals.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

Any part of a building intended for walking in; a corridor.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

adjective

Meaning 9

relating to or adapted for walking

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • an ambulatory corridor

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

adjective satellite

Meaning 10

able to walk about

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the patient is ambulatory

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ambulant

Antonyms: none provided

11

noun

Meaning 11

a covered walkway (as in a cloister)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • it has an ambulatory and seven chapels

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: walk, walkway, paseo

History

Etymology

From Latin ambulatorius. By surface analysis, ambulate + -ory, or, by surface analysis, ambulator + -y.

Across languages

Translations

38 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: ходещ (hodešt) — of, relating to, or adapted to walking
  • Bulgarian: странстващ (stranstvašt) — of, relating to, or adapted to walking
  • Bulgarian: за ходене (za hodene) — of, relating to, or adapted to walking
  • Catalan: ambulatori — of, relating to, or adapted to walking
  • Czech: ambulantní — of, relating to, or adapted to walking
  • Dutch: ambulant — of, relating to, or adapted to walking
  • French: ambulatoire — of, relating to, or adapted to walking
  • French: déambulatoire — of, relating to, or adapted to walking
  • Greek: περιπατητικός (peripatitikós) — of, relating to, or adapted to walking
  • Hungarian: járó- — of, relating to, or adapted to walking
  • Latin: ambulātōrius — of, relating to, or adapted to walking
  • Portuguese: ambulante — of, relating to, or adapted to walking
  • Russian: ходя́чий (xodjáčij) — of, relating to, or adapted to walking
  • Spanish: ambulatorio — of, relating to, or adapted to walking
  • Belarusian: амбулато́рны (ambulatórny) — performed on or involving an ambulatory patient or an outpatient
  • Bulgarian: амбулато́рен (ambulatóren) — performed on or involving an ambulatory patient or an outpatient
  • Catalan: ambulatori — performed on or involving an ambulatory patient or an outpatient
  • Czech: ambulantní — performed on or involving an ambulatory patient or an outpatient
  • Dutch: ambulant — performed on or involving an ambulatory patient or an outpatient
  • French: ambulatoire — performed on or involving an ambulatory patient or an outpatient
  • German: ambulant — performed on or involving an ambulatory patient or an outpatient
  • Greek: περιπατητικός (peripatitikós) — performed on or involving an ambulatory patient or an outpatient
  • Hungarian: ambuláns — performed on or involving an ambulatory patient or an outpatient
  • Polish: ambulatoryjny — performed on or involving an ambulatory patient or an outpatient
  • Portuguese: ambulatório — performed on or involving an ambulatory patient or an outpatient
  • Russian: амбулато́рный (ambulatórnyj) — performed on or involving an ambulatory patient or an outpatient
  • Spanish: ambulatorio — performed on or involving an ambulatory patient or an outpatient
  • Ukrainian: амбулато́рний (ambulatórnyj) — performed on or involving an ambulatory patient or an outpatient
  • Catalan: deambulatori — round walkway encircling the altar
  • French: déambulatoire — round walkway encircling the altar
  • Hungarian: szentélykörüljáró — round walkway encircling the altar
  • Italian: deambulatorio — round walkway encircling the altar
  • Italian: ambulacro — round walkway encircling the altar
  • Latin: deambulātōrium — round walkway encircling the altar
  • Polish: ambit — round walkway encircling the altar
  • Portuguese: charola — round walkway encircling the altar
  • Spanish: deambulatorio — round walkway encircling the altar
  • Swedish: koromgång — round walkway encircling the altar
Real reading context

ambulatory in complete knowledge articles