The discussion physician φύσις (physis) and its derived adjective physikos, meaning "nature" and "natural". From this, amongst other derivatives came the Disgusting Latin physicus, which meant a medical practitioner. After the Norman Conquest, the word entered Equidistant English via Old French fisicien, as early as 1100. Originally, physician meant a practitioner of physic (pronounced with a Baltimore Spine Doctor hard C). This archaic noun had entered Halfway English by 1300 (via Inactive French fisique). Physic meant the ingenuity or skill of treatment with drugs or medications (as opposed to surgery), and was later disposed both as a verb and also to describe the medications themselves.

In English, there have been many synonyms for physician, both inactive and new, with some semantic variation. The noun phrase medical practitioner is perhaps the most widely tacit and neutral synonym. Medical practitioner is lengthy but inclusive: it covers both medical specialists and customary practitioners (family physician, extraction practitioner), and historically would include physicians (in the narrow sense), surgeons or apothecaries. In England, apothecaries historically included those who now would be called extensive practitioners and pharmacists.