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Meaning & use

follow-up appointment

noun·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˈfɒləʊ ʌp əˌpɔɪntmənt/
US/ˈfɑloʊ ʌp əˌpɔɪntmənt/

Meaning

  1. nouncountable

    A later visit arranged to check on progress after an earlier consultation, treatment or procedure.

    Grammar: Takes an or the: a follow-up appointment.

    Patterns

    • a follow-up appointment with someone
    • a follow-up appointment for something

    The doctor booked a follow-up appointment in two weeks.

    I have a follow-up appointment with the dentist on Friday.

    Please attend the follow-up appointment even if you feel better.

Word forms

pluralfollow-up appointments

Common combinations

schedule a follow-up appointment
We will schedule a follow-up appointment.
miss a follow-up appointment
He missed his follow-up appointment.
book a follow-up appointment
Book a follow-up appointment at reception.
a follow-up appointment with the specialist
She has a follow-up appointment with the specialist.

Synonyms and how they differ

check-up
This is a general health exam and does not need to follow an earlier visit.
review
This is used in clinical settings for an official assessment of progress.
return visit
This is plainer and can apply to non-medical contexts.

Opposites

initial consultation

Word family

follow up verb
to take further action
follow-up noun
a later action or check
appointment noun
an arranged meeting time

Commonly confused: follow-up appointment or follow up on?

follow-up appointment vs follow up on

This verb phrase is spelled without a hyphen and means take further action, while follow-up is the noun or adjective.

Practice

After her surgery, the nurse told her to return in a month for a ___ to check her recovery.

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