Ambulate

Ambulate is a verb meaning to walk or move about. In general use, to ambulate simply means to go about one’s life by walking. In medical contexts, ambulation specifically refers to a patient’s ability to walk and move around, with or without assistance. Clinicians assess ambulation to gauge mobility, functional status, and progress after injury, surgery, stroke, or illness. Ambulation status is often described as independent, supervised, assisted, or non-ambulatory, and may be evaluated by observing gait and the distance walked in a timed test.

Ambulation may involve the use of assistive devices such as canes, walkers, crutches, or prostheses. Physical therapy and rehabilitation programs frequently emphasize gait training, strength, balance, and endurance to improve ambulation. Safety considerations include fall prevention, appropriate footwear, orthotics, and environmental modifications to support walking.

Etymology: Ambulate derives from Latin ambulare, “to walk,” with the English form developing through later linguistic stages. The related adjective ambulatory describes things connected with walking, such as ambulatory care (outpatient services) or an ambulatory surgery center.

In broader, non-medical usage, ambulate can be synonymous with walk or move about, though in clinical notes it is a precise term describing the act of walking as part of a patient’s functional status.