clinico

Clinico is a term used in several Romance languages, notably Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian, to refer to matters connected with the clinic or clinical medicine. As an adjective it describes anything related to the clinic, patient care, diagnosis, or treatment in a clinical setting. As a noun in many contexts, a clinico denotes a clinician or physician who provides patient care. In Spanish, clínico is used for both clinical medicine (medicina clínica) and for the clinician (un clínico). In Portuguese, clínico has a similar meaning, with phrases such as ensaio clínico for a clinical trial. The Italian form clinico is used similarly as an adjective and, less commonly, as a noun for a clinician.

Etymology: Clinico derives from Latin clinicus, from Greek klinikos, related to klinē meaning bed, reflecting the historical association of clinics with bedside care. The English word clinical shares the same root, as does clinic.

Usage in English: Clinico is rare in English and generally appears as a loanword in medical or linguistic contexts, or in proper names and titles. In standard English, clinical, clinician, clinic, and related terms are preferred.

See also: clinical medicine, clinician, clinic, clinical trial, etymology of clinic.