Meaning & use
chemist
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A scientist who studies the composition, properties, and reactions of substances.
Grammar: Countable; use 'a chemist' or plural 'chemists'.
Patterns
- a chemist works in/at
- a research chemist
- an organic chemist
Marie Curie was a famous chemist who discovered radium.
The chemist analyzed the sample to determine its composition.
He works as a chemist in a pharmaceutical company.
nouncountableBritish
A person who is trained to prepare and sell medicines; a pharmacist.
Grammar: Countable; in British English, often used for a pharmacist.
Patterns
- the chemist's (shop)
- go to the chemist
- a chemist prescribes/dispenses
I need to go to the chemist to pick up my prescription.
The chemist advised me to take the medicine after meals.
She works as a chemist in a local pharmacy.
nouncountableBritish
A shop where medicines and other health products are sold; a pharmacy.
Grammar: Countable; often used with 'the' or 'a'.
Patterns
- at the chemist's
- the chemist on the corner
- a chain of chemists
You can buy cough syrup at the chemist's.
The chemist on the high street is open until 8 pm.
I stopped by the chemist to get some aspirin.
Word forms
| plural | chemists |
|---|
Common combinations
- research chemist
- She is a research chemist at a major university.
- go to the chemist
- I have to go to the chemist to get my medicine.
- chemist's shop
- The chemist's shop also sells vitamins and cosmetics.
- qualified chemist
- He is a qualified chemist with years of experience.
Synonyms and how they differ
- pharmacist
- More common in American English for a person who prepares and sells medicines; 'chemist' is the British equivalent.
- pharmacy
- A shop where medicines are sold; in British English, 'chemist' can also mean this shop.
Word family
Commonly confused: chemist or pharmacist? chemist or chemistry?
chemist vs pharmacist
In American English, 'pharmacist' is the usual term for a person who dispenses medicine; 'chemist' in that sense is mainly British.
chemist vs chemistry
The noun 'chemistry' refers to the science, while 'chemist' refers to a person or a shop.
Practice
In British English, where would you go to buy medicine?
Choose one answer.
'The chemist's' is the British term for a pharmacy. 'Chemistry' is the science, 'chemical' is a substance, and 'chemists' refers to multiple scientists or shops but without the possessive it does not mean a shop.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “chemist”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.