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Meaning & use

accident and emergency

noun·EverydayBritish

Last updated

UK/ˌæksɪdənt ən ɪˈmɜːdʒənsi/
US/ˌæksɪdənt ən ɪˈmɝdʒənsi/

Meaning

  1. noununcountable

    The hospital department that gives urgent treatment to people who are badly hurt or suddenly seriously ill.

    Grammar: Often used with no article after in or to: she went to accident and emergency.

    Patterns

    • go to accident and emergency
    • in accident and emergency
    • an accident and emergency department

    He was rushed to accident and emergency after the fall.

    The accident and emergency department was packed on Saturday night.

    She works as a nurse in accident and emergency.

Common combinations

accident and emergency department
The accident and emergency department opens all day and night.
go to accident and emergency
If the pain gets worse, go to accident and emergency.
accident and emergency doctor
The accident and emergency doctor stitched the cut.
waiting time in accident and emergency
Waiting times in accident and emergency have risen.

Synonyms and how they differ

A&E
A&E is the everyday written and spoken short form, used more than the full phrase.
emergency room
Emergency room is the standard American term for the same department.
casualty
Casualty is an older British word for the department, now mostly replaced.
urgent care
Urgent care handles problems that are serious but not life-threatening, and is a separate service.

Word family

accident noun
unexpected harmful event
emergency noun
sudden serious situation needing action
emergent adjective
newly appearing
emergency services noun
police, fire and ambulance

Commonly confused: accident and emergency or accidental? accident and emergency or outpatient clinic?

accident and emergency vs accidental

Accidental describes something done by chance, which is unrelated to the hospital department.

accident and emergency vs outpatient clinic

An outpatient clinic is for planned visits, but accident and emergency is for sudden urgent cases.

Practice

A person who breaks a leg in a fall would most likely go to ___.

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