Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links, meaning that when you make a purchase, I earn a small commission. Affiliate links cost you nothing to use and help keep my content free. It is a win-win for us both! For more info, see the Disclosure Policy.
“Doctor’s appointment” or “doctors’ appointment” or “doctor appointment”: Which is correct?
When making an appointment with a doctor, you may wonder whether to use the possessive form “doctor’s appointment” or “doctors’ appointment”.
The correct way to say that you made this kind of appointment is to use the form “doctor’s appointment.” “Doctor appointment” is also not unheard of, but it is a less common option.
Avoid embarrassing grammar and spelling mistakes once and for all! Never need to ask this question again with your personal grammar assistant! Download Grammarly and use it for free.
Doctor’s Appointment
If you are making an appointment with a doctor, you can call it a “doctor’s appointment.” This is the simplest and most straightforward option.
Similarly to “doctor’s appointment,” we can say “dentist’s appointment.”
For example:
- “I have a doctor’s appointment at 2pm.”
- “Can we reschedule my doctor’s appointment?”
- “I need to cancel my doctor’s appointment.”
Is doctor’s possessive in “doctor’s appointment”?
At first glance, it may seem like “doctor’s” is being used as a possessive form in “doctor’s appointment” but that is not entirely true.
We can also use an ‘s for the genitive case. The genitive case is much like the possessive case in terms of ownership but it also means that there is a close association between the words “doctor” and “appointment.
The term doctor’s in “doctor’s appointment” is called a descriptive genitive. The noun “doctor” is being used to describe the kind of appointment.
“Doctor’s” as the Possessive Form
Here are some examples of when the word “doctor” takes the possessive form:
- Doctor’s surgery
- Doctor’s office
- Doctor’s prescription
- Doctor’s bill
Doctor Appointment
“Doctor appointment” is an equally correct way to say the term.
If you are making an appointment with a doctor, you can also say “doctor appointment.” This is not as common as “doctor’s appointment,” but it is still used.
This is acceptable because “doctor” the noun is being used adjectivally to describe the kind of appointment.
According to Google Books Ngram Viewer, we can see that “doctor’s appointment” is the more frequently used term that has occurred in the corpus of books:
Doctors’ Appointment
We do not use “doctors’ appointment” if we arranged a meeting with the doctor.
Doctors’ suggests there are multiple doctors. Not just one.
We could say “the doctors’ coats” or “the doctors’ gloves” to refer to the coats and gloves of more than one doctor.
You may also be interested in: 15 Best Online English Courses Free & Paid (2022)
In Conclusion
So, to sum it up, if you made an appointment with the doctor, then you can say “doctor’s appointment.”
You can also say “doctor appointment,” but this is less common.
Useful Links
Other posts that may interest you:
- “Get in” or “Get into The Car”: Which is Correct
- 30+ Excellent Ways to Say “Have a Good Evening”
- “Truer Words Have Never Been Spoken” Meaning, Examples and Alternatives
- Mens, Men’s or Mens’? Which is Correct?
- Jones’, Jones’s or Joneses’? Which is Correct?
- Her’s or Hers? Which is Correct (With Examples)
I'm an Irish tutor and founder of TPR Teaching. I started teaching in 2016 and have since taught in the UK, Spain, and online.
I love learning new things about the English language and how to teach it better. I'm always trying to improve my knowledge, so I can better meet the needs of others!
I enjoy traveling, nature walks, and soaking up a new culture. Please share the posts if you find them helpful!