noun · 2 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.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˌɒf.θælˈmɒ.lə.d͡ʒɪst/
General-American:/ˌɔf.θə(l)ˈmɑ.lə.d͡ʒɪst/
General-American:/ˌɑp.θə(l)ˈmɑ.lə.d͡ʒɪst/
General-American:/ˌɔf.θælˈmɑ.lə.d͡ʒɪst/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:AA2 P TH AH0 M AA1 L AH0 JH IH0 S T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:AA2 F TH AH0 M AA1 L AH0 JH IH0 S T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A medical doctor specializing in the eye: deficiencies of vision requiring correction, and diseases. Compare optometrist.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: eye doctor, oculist
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
a medical doctor specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the eye
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: eye doctor, oculist
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: specialist, medical specialist
Narrower terms: Snellen, Hermann Snellen
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English ophthalmology Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō) Proto-Hellenic *-tās Ancient Greek -τής (-tḗs) Ancient Greek -ῐστής (-ĭstḗs)bor. Latin -istader. Old French -istebor. Middle English -ist English -ist English ophthalmologist From ophthalmology + -ist.
Across languages
Translations
74 source translations are retained for this English entry.
