professional visit definition

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Know the difference between preventive and office visits

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At first a preventive visit and office visit may seem similar, but there is a difference. Knowing which to schedule can help ease any confusion.

You schedule preventive visits which are annual physicals, well child exams and wellness exams to help prevent or detect any health concerns. This is also known as your annual wellness exam or annual health maintenance exam. Confusion comes when at your annual checkup you want to discuss or receive treatment for a new or existing condition that requires action. This is where a preventive visit can become an office visit and your bill can be impacted.

You schedule an office visit, or problem-related service, for problem focused care, meaning you notice symptoms and want to talk with your provider. In your preventive visit if a problem is addressed and needs to be treated, your provider’s office is required to bill as a separate office visit, due to action for treatment needed.

What is a preventive visit?

• Complete physical exam (annual health maintenance exam)
• Blood pressure, blood glucose and cholesterol screening tests
• Pelvic exams, pap smear
• Prostate and colorectal cancer screenings
• Sexually transmitted infection testing
• Thorough review of medical history, general health and well-being
• Vaccination review and update
• Developmental screenings
• Evaluation of future risks

What is an office visit?

• Diagnosing and monitoring specific medical conditions
• Addressing medical concerns and treatment plans
• Post hospitalization discharge care
• Medication refills
• Specialist referrals
• Testing/lab results
• Addressing new or worsening symptoms
• Depending on benefits an office visit can result in additional costs

Before scheduling an appointment state clearly whether this will be a wellness exam or if this appointment will be to discuss and treat new health concerns or symptoms. If a wellness exam is spent on specific or new health issues and treated it will no longer be considered a preventive visit, and it will be billed as an office visit.

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What is a Preventive Visit vs. an Office Visit?

When scheduling a doctor’s appointment, you may think: what type of medical appointment will insurance charge this as? 

Knowing the difference between a preventive visit and an office visit can be confusing, especially if you schedule a preventive visit and end up receiving treatment for a certain health issue, like blood pressure concerns or frequent headaches. Learn why Jenna Kemp, MD , UnityPoint Health says regardless of the type of appointment, you’ll receive the same personalized experience.

Preventive Visit: Staying Well

A medical preventive visit is a yearly doctor's appointment intended to prevent illnesses and detect health concerns early, before symptoms are noticeable. Preventive visits could be an annual physical, well-child exam, Medicare wellness exam or welcome to Medicare visit. Most insurance companies are required to cover preventive care services at no cost to patients. During your appointment, you’ll review your overall health and well-being. Depending on your age, services may include:

• Complete physical exam
• Immunization review and update
• Age-appropriate heart disease screenings (blood pressure, blood glucose and cholesterol tests)
• Cancer risk screenings (pelvic exam, Pap smear, prostate and colorectal screenings)
• Sexually-transmitted disease testing
• Evaluation for signs of depression
• Alcohol, depression, obesity and tobacco counseling

“Each visit is unique, and there isn’t a standard lab panel or order set that everyone will automatically need,” Dr. Kemp says. “Preventive visits are an opportunity to discuss care areas, plans from other specialists and share lifestyle modifications to establish a long-term health plan. We work as a team with our patients to build trust and help align their health goals.”

Office Visit: Getting Well

An office visit is designed to discuss new or existing health issues, concerns, worries or symptoms. Your provider may order tests, prescribe medication, refer you to a specialist or provide advice and education. Office visits are covered by a standard insurance co-pay or deductible. “We take care of people as individuals. The care involved even for the same problem is often very different. It’s not unusual for two appointments to be on the schedule for ‘headache,’ and one will be a migraine episode, while the other is related to underlying depression and insomnia. We allot the necessary amount of time to come up with a treatment plan specific to each person’s case,” Dr. Kemp says.

Keep Your Health on Point

We care about people most, it’s why we do what we do. Dr. Kemp says her, and her team’s, main goal is to establish meaningful relationships with patients. “We have so many excellent primary care providers who truly care about their patients and work with them to be as healthy as possible. Our goal is always for patients to be respected and guided in their health through evidenced-based medical information. If you don’t feel like you’re heard or valued by your doctor, let them know!”

How to Schedule a Doctor's Appointment

To establish care with a new provider or to schedule an appointment with your current provider you can: 

• Find a Location and call to schedule
• Find a Doctor and either call to schedule or schedule an appointment online, if available 
• Log into the MyUnityPoint patient portal  to schedule an appointment with your doctor online
• Office Visit – Brief
• Office Visit – Extended
• Virtual Visit
• Well Child Visit
• Physical Visit

Choose this visit type if you have multiple or more complex health concerns to talk to your providers about, such as abdominal pain, multiple medication management and/or depression/anxiety.

 This visit type is only available for existing patients. Selecting this option does not schedule a virtual visit, but sends a request to be seen virtually to your primary care provider. Please note: not all providers offer virtual visits. For same-day virtual care options, select Virtual Urgent Care or E-Visit – SmartExam on the main menu.

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A visit is a face-to-face, telemedicine, or telehealth encounter between an FQHC patient and a physician, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife, visiting nurse, a qualified clinical psychologist, clinical social worker, other health professional for mental health services, dentist, dental hygienist, or an optometrist.

A medical visit is a face-to-face, telemedicine, or telehealth encounter between an FQHC patient and a physician, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, certified nurse midwife, or visiting nurse. An “other” health visit includes, but is not limited to, a face-to-face, telemedicine, or telehealth encounter between an FQHC patient and a qualified clinical psychologist, clinical social worker, other health professional for mental health services, a dentist, a dental hygienist, an optometrist, or a Texas Health Steps Medical Screen.

SOURCE:   Texas Admin Code Title 1, Sec. 355.8261, (Accessed Apr. 2024).

A visit is a face-to-face encounter between an FQHC client and a physician, PA, NP, CNM, visiting nurse, qualified clinical psychologist, clinical social worker, other health-care professional for mental health services, dentist, dental hygienist, or optometrist. Encounters that take place on the same day at a single location with more than one health-care professional or multiple encounters with the same health-care professional constitute a single visit, except where one of the following conditions exists:

• After the first encounter, the client suffers illness or injury requiring additional diagnosis or treatment.
• The FQHC client has a medical visit and an other health visit such as a qualified clinical psychologist, clinical social worker, other health professional for mental health services, a dentist, a dental hygienist, an optometrist, or a THSteps medical checkup.

All services provided that are incidental to the encounter, including developmental screening, must be included in the total charge for the encounter. They are not billable as a separate encounter.

SOURCE: TX Medicaid Clinics and other Outpatient Facility Services Handbook, pg. 13, (Apr. 2024). (Accessed Apr. 2024).

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Trump pushes new GOP platform softening party’s positions on abortion and same-sex marriage

At the urging of former President Donald Trump and his allies, the Republican Party is set to abandon a decadeslong push for a federal abortion ban and soften its stance on same-sex marriage in its platform , according to changes made in a draft policy platform passed Monday morning ahead of next week’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

The new draft party platform, which still must get approval from the full Republican National Committee, came after the Trump campaign made a quiet push to keep those seen as too socially conservative off the platform committee out of concern that they would make a vocal push for things like a federal abortion ban, which has consistently been unpopular in public polling.

“The reality of the situation is, this platform reflects modern day realities,” said a platform committee member who spoke anonymously to NBC News to detail private deliberations. “This is a position that leaves it up to the states, which is the position of the Republican Party.”

Fights over how to handle changes to both abortion and same-sex marriage dominated the lead-up to the GOP changing its national policy platform, something that generally happens every four years alongside presidential elections. For the first time in recent memory, this year’s platform meeting was held behind closed doors without access for the media or members of the public.

Social conservatives pushed to retain the platform’s old language promoting an abortion ban and opposing same-sex marriage, but they lost as the politics surrounding both have changed over the years. Trump said earlier this year that abortion should remain a state policy issue, after the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade, and Trump’s White House said during his administration that he supported same-sex marriage.

“It is fair to say that over 1,000 pastors have emailed, texted and called me about their disappointment over where they saw the platform going,” said Chad Connelly, a former chair of the South Carolina GOP who said he was blocked from the platform committee over "being labeled 'too pro-life.'" 

“The words I am hearing are shocked, betrayed, trampled, depressed, deflated,” he said. “Most pastors I know don’t want Biden and will still probably vote for Trump, but this hurts the energy needed for those folks to do the things it takes to help elect a president.”

In a statement, top Trump advisers said the platform represents his vision for the Republican Party headed into the 2024 election cycle.

“President Trump’s 2024 Republican Party platform articulates his vision to Make America Great Again in a way that is concise and digestible to every voter,” Trump campaign senior advisers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles said in a statement. 

The Biden campaign said the GOP draft platform was hiding Trump’s true policy goals.

“Every voter should Google Project 2025 if they want to know Donald Trump’s true agenda for America,” Biden campaign spokesperson James Singer said in a statement. “What was put out today was not a platform, it was a cheap, in-all-caps admission Trump and his campaign want to hide from his dangerous Project 2025 agenda to make Trump a dictator on day one, destroy our system of checks and balances, cut Social Security, ban abortion and worse.”

Trump’s approval of the proposed party platform comes just two days after he publicly lashed out at the conservative groups behind the writing of Project 2025, a 922-page roadmap of policies for a potential second Trump administration. Critics have panned some of the project’s proposals, and the Biden campaign has repeatedly sought to tie Trump to it.

“I know nothing about Project 2025,” Trump wrote in a social media post . “I have no idea who is behind it. I disagree with some of the things they’re saying and some of the things they’re saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal. Anything they do, I wish them luck, but I have nothing to do with them.”

The Republican National Committee’s platform policy director, Russ Vought, also served as one of the authors of Project 2025, which was led by the Heritage Foundation and backed by more than 100 other allied organizations.

One day after Trump’s social media post, Project 2025 director Paul Dans canceled a taped interview with NBC News that was scheduled for Monday.

Inside the platform changes

The Republican Party’s current policy platform, unchanged since 2016 after the party skipped the platform process during the pandemic in 2020, says the GOP supports a “human life amendment” to the U.S. Constitution. The proposed changes this year say that the 14th Amendment inherently offers protections for life at conception and that “states are, therefore, free to pass Laws protecting those Rights.”

It represents a significant switch for the Republican Party, which has been grappling with how to handle its stance on abortion since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, pitting social conservatives against figures more worried about the political implications of the party’s position.

“It’s unfortunate that the statement on abortion and life related issues is very weak and much less effective in articulating a sound policy agenda around the issues,” said John Stemberger, president of Liberty Counsel Action, a conservative action group. 

Stemberger did praise new sections added to the GOP policy platform that offer protections to parental rights in education and put the party officially in opposition to “gender indoctrination of our children.” 

On same-sex marriage, the Trump-aligned platform committee also approved changes opposed by social conservative in the party. The new proposed platform removes language that says marriage is “between one man and one woman, and is the foundation for a free society.”

It was replaced by language that says the party instead promotes a “culture that values the Sanctity of Marriage, the blessing of childhood, the foundational role of family, and supports working parents.” The new proposed platform does not include mention of “one man and one woman.”

Though there was a fevered lobbying effort ahead of the platform committee meeting, the issue was not a topic of debate during Monday’s meeting, which focused more on the abortion language.

“I don’t think one person brought it up,” a second platform committee member told NBC News.

One issue that did get some attention during the roughly three-hour meeting was the potential use of military forces on the southern border, something a handful of platform committee members said could raise legal issues. Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., a former Green Beret, quickly shot down the concerns.

Other additions to the party’s platform include beginning the “largest deportation program in American History,” a push to use federal law to keep “foreign Christian-hating Communists, Marxists, and Socialists out of America,” and an effort to “keep men out of women’s sports.”

The draft platform also says Republicans will “hold accountable” those who have used the government “to unjustly prosecute their political opponents.” 

“We will declassify government records, root out wrongdoers, and fire corrupt employees,” the platform reads, a reference to the baseless notion that President Joe Biden and Democrats have wrongly prosecuted Republicans for political reasons.

The proposed platform is just 16 pages, significantly shorter than the more than 60-page current document. That was the result of a concerted effort by Trump to simplify and streamline the party’s policy platform.

“For decades, Republicans have published textbook-long platforms that are scrutinized and intentionally misrepresented by our political opponents,” Wiles and LaCivita wrote in a memo late last month, which was first reported by The New York Times. “The mainstream media uses their bully pulpit to perpetuate lies and misrepresentation, and the voters are often left believing we stand for something different than we actually do.”

It’s something some party officials have said was the right move after years of massive GOP platforms.

“It’s what a platform should be, in my opinion,” said one party official. “What DJT is running on, but not hundreds of pages of dribble.”

Matt Dixon is a senior national politics reporter for NBC News, based in Florida.

Vaughn Hillyard is a correspondent for NBC News. 

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FACT SHEET: President   Biden Announces New Actions to Protect Workers and Communities from Extreme   Weather

Despite the severe impacts of extreme weather events, Republicans in Congress continue to deny the very existence of climate change and expose their constituents to health and safety dangers

Across the country, tens of millions of Americans are experiencing the effects of extreme weather events. From the record-shattering heat wave across the Midwest and Northeast, to devastating flooding in Iowa and Minnesota, to raging wildfires in New Mexico, Oregon, and California, communities in every corner of the country are being directly impacted by the compounding effects of extreme weather. The Atlantic is also facing an active hurricane seasonal outlook that will require residents to maintain vigilance against flooding and wind threats. In addition to posing direct threats to lives and livelihoods, major weather events – which are becoming increasingly extreme due to the climate crisis – have had significant economic impacts: last year’s record 28 individual billion-dollar extreme weather and climate disasters caused more than $90 billion in aggregate damage. Meanwhile, many Republicans in Congress continue to deny the very existence of climate change and remain committed to repealing the President’s Inflation Reduction Act – the biggest climate protection bill ever – which would undermine the health and safety of their own constituents. As the impacts of flooding, drought, wildland fires, heat waves, and other extreme weather events intensify, President Biden is delivering on the most ambitious climate agenda in American history — an agenda that is lowering energy costs for hardworking families, bolstering America’s energy security, creating thousands of good-paying jobs, and strengthening community-driven climate resilience across the country. Today, the President is receiving an operational briefing on extreme weather forecasts for this summer, and he will announce new actions to protect workers and families from the impacts of extreme weather, including:  

• The Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is proposing a rule to protect workers that, if finalized, would establish the nation’s first-ever federal safety standard addressing excessive heat in the workplace.  The risk that extreme heat poses to certain workers has long been recognized – even apart from the impacts of climate change. Recognizing these risks, the proposed rule includes requirements for identifying heat hazards, developing heat illness and emergency response plans, providing training to employees and supervisors, and implementing work practice standards — including rest breaks, access to shade and water, and heat acclimatization for new employees. If finalized, OSHA projects the rule would affect approximately 36 million workers and substantially reduce heat injuries, illnesses, and deaths in the workplace.
• The Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency is announcing nearly $1 billion dollars in awards for 656 projects across the country to help communities protect against disasters and natural hazards, including extreme heat, storms, and flooding. Historic funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law through the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program will go to projects that will eliminate or reduce flood damage, mitigate the effects of extreme heat, and enhance infrastructure resilience. Projects include $50 million to Philadelphia, PA, to improve the resilience of a stormwater pump station and mitigate flooding; $6 million to Goldsboro, NC, for an improved flood drainage channel; and $724,000 to build shaded bus stops in areas of high heat exposure in Washington, D.C. This program is part of the President’s Justice40 Initiative , which aims to ensure 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy and other investment areas flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
• The Environmental Protection Agency is releasing a new report showing the continuing and far-reaching impacts of climate change on the people and environment of the United States.  The report highlights how climate change impacts – including heat waves, sea surface temperatures, coastal flooding, and wildfires – are increasingly affecting people’s health, society, and ecosystems in a variety of ways. For example, the report notes that the average length of the heat wave season is 46 days longer today than it was in the 1960s and, in recent years, the average heat wave in major U.S. urban areas has lasted about four days – about a full day longer than the average heat wave in the 1960s.

President Biden is also announcing that later this summer, he will bring together state, local, Tribal, and Territorial leaders – who are protecting U.S. communities and workers from extreme weather every day and helping strengthen America’s global leadership on climate – for a White House Summit on Extreme Heat. Today’s announcements build on numerous actions that the Biden-Harris Administration has taken to bolster our preparedness and resilience nationwide, including working with state, local, Tribal, and territorial partners to provide clear and accessible information on how individuals and communities can protect themselves from extreme weather events. Protecting Communities from Extreme Heat:  President Biden has taken historic action to protect workers and communities from the impacts of extreme heat, including lowering home energy costs and helping more Americans stay safe, cool, and healthy in their homes. President Biden has also taken important steps to increase the resilience of the power system against extreme heat and wildfires, including through more than $14 billion to enhance grid flexibility and grid resilience, including the deployment of resilience-enhancing microgrids and energy storage. The Administration has also announced $1 billion in grants  to expand equitable access to trees and green spaces  in urban communities, which will reduce heat-island effects and cool cities. The Administration is also strengthening America’s leadership overseas, including by convening global stakeholders to advance heat-related resilience efforts and reducing heat risk for U.S. workers abroad. To better equip local officials and the public with robust and accessible information, the Administration launched  Heat.gov , a centralized portal with real-time, interactive data and resources on extreme heat conditions, preparedness, and response. Combating the Growing Threat of Wildfires: In addition to implementing a Wildfire Crisis Strategy  that will limit the impact and severity of fires, the Administration has invested $7 billion to expand the wildland firefighter workforce, deployed new technology to better respond to fires, and completed a historic 6.85 million acres of hazardous fuels treatments. The Administration also launched a new  Community Wildfire Defense Grant  program that helps local communities develop and implement wildfire preparedness plans. In addition, the Administration is tackling the pronounced health effects of wildfire smoke by investing over $10 million to enhance wildfire smoke preparedness and protection in communities across the West. AirNow.gov  and its specialized  Fire and Smoke Map  provide Americans with real-time information about smoke and air quality so people can make informed decisions about how to stay safe. Reducing Flood Risk for Households and Communities: Most homeowners’ and renters’ insurance does not cover flood damage. The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s  National Flood Insurance Program  is helping communities proactively protect their homes, businesses, and belongings from unexpected flood damage by providing  guidance  to communities on how they can mitigate their flood risk. In addition to investing billions of dollars to reduce flood risks across America and protect communities from rising insurance costs, President Biden also  reinstated  and is implementing the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard, which ensures that Federal agencies are considering and managing current and future flood risks in order to build a more resilient nation. Strengthening Water Security Across the West : Over the past two decades, the Colorado River Basin has experienced the driest period in the region in over one thousand years. President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda is providing over $15 billion—and has already funded nearly 500 projects—to enhance the West’s resilience to drought, including projects to reuse, recycle, recharge, store, conserve, and desalinate water resources, and to revitalize aging water infrastructure. The Administration has also taken historic action to conserve millions of acre-feet of water in the Colorado River Basin, securing our nation’s water resources for future generations and staving off the immediate collapse of the Colorado River. Promoting Climate-Smart Buildings and Infrastructure: Buildings and infrastructure investments last for generations when done right, so it is critical to plan and build in ways that promote climate resilience. President Biden’s  National Initiative to Advance Building Codes  is accelerating adoption of modern building codes that protect people from extreme-weather events and save communities an estimated  $1.6 billion  a year in avoided damages. The Administration is also making billions of dollars available to build climate-smart buildings and green infrastructure which will keep American’s homes cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Empowering Communities to Better Understand and Plan for Climate Risk: The Biden-Harris Administration is advancing actionable data, information, tools, and technical assistance to help people understand and address their climate risks. These tools will help communities understand and plan for local climate-related hazards  ; assess changes in coastal flood risk   ensure that Federal agencies are producing coordinated, actionable climate information ; and increase support for regional applied science and services centers . Incorporating Climate Risk into Decision-Making : Extreme weather, intensified by climate change, threatens the U.S. economy and the financial security of families, businesses, and workers. President Biden’s  Executive Order on Climate-Related Financial Risk  ensures that climate risk and resilience actions are appropriately factored into the formulation and execution of the President’s Budget, thereby properly managing and protecting Federal funding on behalf of taxpayers. This includes  formally accounting  for the risks that climate change pose in the President’s Budget for the first time.

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What is the difference between a physical and an office visit?

Preventive care (Annual Physicals, Well Child Exams, and Wellness Exams) are services to catch health problems early. Usually, these preventative services are covered by your insurance company with little to no out of pocket cost to you. The distinction between a “physical” and an “office visit” is especially important when we submit a bill to your insurance company for that visit. However, understanding what your insurance will cover at your preventative visit creates some confusion for many of our patients. Therefore, here are some clarifications:

What is preventative care?

A “physical” or “preventive health exam” is a thorough review of your general well-being. The doctor will review your medical problems, perform a complete physical examination and make recommendations concerning your health. This may include general recommendations regarding diet and exercise, age appropriate immunizations and cancer screening exams.

What is an office visit?

An “office visit” is an appointment time to discuss new or existing problems. The questions and exam will focus on the problems discussed. This is different from preventative care. Hence, if you schedule a physical but your appointment is spent on specific health issues or problem(s), we can no longer bill this as a physical, but instead, as a problem-focused “office visit”. Please do not ask your provider to change your office visit to a physical, change your diagnosis, and/or change the billing amount to your insurance company. This is considered “fraudulent” billing behavior by your insurance company and federal regulatory agencies. Meaning, what we bill to your insurance company for payment must be consistent with the visit notes and exam.

Some common preventative care services include:

• Cholesterol screening
• Colon cancer screening
• Diabetes screening
• Review of past history (surgical, family, social)
• Immunizations
• Routine physical exam
• Fall risk screening
• Depression screening
• Dementia screening
• Alcohol screening
• End of life planning and DNR’s
• Contraceptive and family planning/counseling
• Contraceptive devices and contraceptive drugs

Additional Services for Women

• Breastfeeding support, supplies, counseling
• Prenatal care
• Antepartum care
• Routine mammograms
• Routine Pap tests

For Children

• Newborn hearing screening
• Periodic well-child visits
• Sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening and prevention counseling for adolescents
• Vision screening

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noun as in social call upon another

Strongest matches

appointment , call , holiday , interview , stay , stop , stopover , talk , vacation

Strong matches

evening , sojourn , tarriance , visitation , weekend

verb as in be a guest of

call , call on , frequent , hit , inspect , play , see , stay at , talk , tour

chat , converse , crash , dwell , reside , sojourn , tarry

Weak matches

come around , come by , drop by , drop in , drop over , go over to , go to see , look around , look in on , look up , pay a call , pay a visit to , pop in , stay with , step in , stop by , stop off , swing by , take in

verb as in bother, haunt

Strongest match

afflict , assail , avenge , befall , impose , inflict , pain , punish , smite , trouble , wreak , wreck

bring down on , descend upon , force upon

Example Sentences

You will have your beloved father back sooner than you think, and you can visit and communicate with him all the while.

He hasn't bothered to visit Iguala, the place where the students were abducted and killed.

From his purview, our visit and interest had brought excitement to him and his peers.

On May 9, which Moscow commemorates as World War II “Victory Day,” Klaus paid a highly visible visit to the Russian Embassy.

Both Prados have enough magic that, after you visit them, the whole world feels like their gift shop for a few hours.

When the women came, he was preparing to go to the west side for his daily visit with Mrs. Pruitt.

M'Bongo, the great chief of this neighbourhood, paid a ceremonial visit to my husband.

Levee: a ceremonious visit received by a distinguished person in the morning.

I really ought to visit my California estates, and I have always wanted to see that part of America.

In the spring of 1868 he was taken by his mother for a visit to England, and there, in the same year, his sister was born.

Related Words

Words related to visit are not direct synonyms, but are associated with the word visit . Browse related words to learn more about word associations.

verb as in come to a destination

• drop anchor
• make the scene
• punch the clock

verb as in be present at

• come to light
• make an appearance

noun as in demand, announcement

• solicitation
• supplication

verb as in visit someone

Viewing 5 / 42 related words

On this page you'll find 117 synonyms, antonyms, and words related to visit, such as: appointment, call, holiday, interview, stay, and stop.

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.

Definition of 'visit'

visit in American English

Visit in british english, examples of 'visit' in a sentence visit, related word partners visit, trends of visit.

View usage over: Since Exist Last 10 years Last 50 years Last 100 years Last 300 years

Browse alphabetically visit

• visit a camp
• visit a cathedral
• visit a cave
• All ENGLISH words that begin with 'V'

Related terms of visit

• brief visit
• papal visit
• quick visit
• View more related words

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Definition of visitor

Examples of visitor in a sentence.

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'visitor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing visitor

• unique visitor

Dictionary Entries Near visitor

visit on/upon

visitors' book

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“Visitor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/visitor. Accessed 11 Jul. 2024.

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Kids definition of visitor, more from merriam-webster on visitor.

Nglish: Translation of visitor for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of visitor for Arabic Speakers

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What does Visit mean?

Definitions for visit ˈvɪz ɪt vis·it, this dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word visit ., princeton's wordnet rate this definition: 5.0 / 1 vote.

the act of going to see some person or place or thing for a short time

"he dropped by for a visit"

a meeting arranged by the visitor to see someone (such as a doctor or lawyer) for treatment or advice

"he scheduled a visit to the dentist"

the act of visiting in an official capacity (as for an inspection)

the act of going to see some person in a professional capacity

"a visit to the dentist"

sojourn, visit verb

a temporary stay (e.g., as a guest)

visit, see verb

go to see a place, as for entertainment

"We went to see the Eiffel Tower in the morning"

travel to, visit verb

go to certain places as for sightseeing

"Did you ever visit Paris?"

visit, call in, call verb

pay a brief visit

"The mayor likes to call on some of the prominent citizens"

visit, inspect verb

come to see in an official or professional capacity

"The governor visited the prison"; "The grant administrator visited the laboratory"

inflict, bring down, visit, impose verb

impose something unpleasant

"The principal visited his rage on the students"

chew the fat, shoot the breeze, chat, confabulate, confab, chitchat, chit-chat, chatter, chaffer, natter, gossip, jaw, claver, visit verb

talk socially without exchanging too much information

"the men were sitting in the cafe and shooting the breeze"

stay with as a guest

"Every summer, we visited our relatives in the country for a month"

"He was visited with a terrible illness that killed him quickly"

Wiktionary Rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votes

A single act of visiting.

A meeting with a doctor at their surgery or the doctor's at one's home.

Of God: to appear to (someone) to comfort or bless them. (Now generally merged into later senses, below.)

To habitually go to (someone in distress, sickness etc.) to comfort them. (Now generally merged into later senses, below.)

To go and meet (a person) as an act of friendliness or sociability.

To punish, to inflict harm upon (someone or something).

Of a sickness, misfortune etc.: to afflict (someone).

To inflict punishment, vengence for (an offense) on or upon someone.

To go to (a shrine, temple etc.) for worship. (Now generally merged into later senses, below.)

To go to (a place) for pleasure, on an errand, etc.

Etymology: From visito, frequentative of viso, from video.

Wikipedia Rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votes

Visit refer as go to see and spend time with socially.

ChatGPT Rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votes

A visit is an act of going to a particular place or location for a period of time, typically to see or spend time with someone or to explore a new environment or destination. It may involve social, personal, work-related, educational, or leisure purposes. A visit typically involves being physically present in the place being visited for a temporary period.

Webster Dictionary Rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votes

to go or come to see, as for the purpose of friendship, business, curiosity, etc.; to attend; to call upon; as, the physician visits his patient

to go or come to see for inspection, examination, correction of abuses, etc.; to examine, to inspect; as, a bishop visits his diocese; a superintendent visits persons or works under his charge

to come to for the purpose of chastising, rewarding, comforting; to come upon with reward or retribution; to appear before or judge; as, to visit in mercy; to visit one in wrath

to make a visit or visits; to maintain visiting relations; to practice calling on others

the act of visiting, or going to see a person or thing; a brief stay of business, friendship, ceremony, curiosity, or the like, usually longer than a call; as, a visit of civility or respect; a visit to Saratoga; the visit of a physician

the act of going to view or inspect; an official or formal inspection; examination; visitation; as, the visit of a trustee or inspector

Etymology: [F. visiter, L. visitare, fr. visere to go to see, to visit, fr. videre, visum to see. See Vision.]

Wikidata Rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votes

VisIt is an open source interactive parallel visualization and graphical analysis tool for viewing scientific data. It can be used to visualize scalar and vector fields defined on 2D and 3D structured and unstructured meshes. VisIt was designed to handle very large data set sizes in the terascale range and yet can also handle small data sets in the kilobyte range.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary Rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votes

viz′it, v.t. to go to see or inspect: to attend: enter, appear in: to call on: ( B. ) to reward or punish.— v.i. to be in the habit of seeing or meeting each other: to keep up acquaintance.— n. act of visiting or going to see.— adjs. Vis′itable , subject to visitation: attractive to visitors; Vis′itant , paying visits, visiting.— n. one who visits: one who is a guest in the house of another: a migratory bird: one of an order of nuns founded by St Francis de Sales in 1610, also called Salesians , Order (also Nuns ) of the Visitation —the order has done much in the education of young girls.— n. Visitā′tion , act of visiting: examination by authority: a dispensation, whether of divine favour or retribution: ( rare ) the object of a visit: the act of a naval commander in boarding the vessel of another state to ascertain her character and object: a visit of a herald to a district for the examination of its arms, pedigrees, &c.: an unusual and extensive irruption of a species of animals into another region: ( eccles. ) a festival to commemorate the visit of the Virgin Mary to Elizabeth, observed by the Roman and Greek Churches on 2d July.— adjs. Visitātō′rial , Visitō′rial .— n. Vis′iting , the act of paying visits: prompting, influence.— adj. that which visits.— ns. Vis′iting-book , a book recording the names of persons who have called or are to be called on; Vis′iting-card , a small card, on which the name, address, or title, may be printed, to be left in making calls or paying visits, and sometimes sent as an act of courtesy or in token of sympathy; Vis′iting-day , a day on which one is at home or ready to receive callers; Vis′itor , -er , one who visits, calls on, or makes a stay with a person: a person authorised to visit an institution to see that it is managed properly:— fem. Vis′itress .— Visitation of the sick , an office in the Anglican Church, used for the spiritual benefit of the sick, provision being also made for special confession and absolution. [Fr. visiter —L. visitāre , freq. of visĕre , to go to see, visit— vidēre , to see.]

Editors Contribution Rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votes

Go and see.

We like to visit our family regularly, its important to us.

Submitted by MaryC on January 21, 2021  

Matched Categories

British national corpus.

Spoken Corpus Frequency

Rank popularity for the word 'Visit' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #1328

Written Corpus Frequency

Rank popularity for the word 'Visit' in Written Corpus Frequency: #2525

Nouns Frequency

Rank popularity for the word 'Visit' in Nouns Frequency: #430

Verbs Frequency

Rank popularity for the word 'Visit' in Verbs Frequency: #197

Anagrams for Visit »

How to pronounce visit.

Alex US English David US English Mark US English Daniel British Libby British Mia British Karen Australian Hayley Australian Natasha Australian Veena Indian Priya Indian Neerja Indian Zira US English Oliver British Wendy British Fred US English Tessa South African

How to say Visit in sign language?

Chaldean Numerology

The numerical value of Visit in Chaldean Numerology is: 6

Pythagorean Numerology

The numerical value of Visit in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7

Examples of Visit in a Sentence

Ron Johnson :

Happy to have her visit Milwaukee but she really ought to inspect the crisis President Biden created at the border.

Marc Marquez :

It seems that I am experiencing deja vu, during the trip back to Spain, I began to have discomfort with my vision and we decided to visit Dr. Sanchez Dalmau, who confirmed that I have a new episode of diplopia.

Amnesty International :

When I look back at that visit and see now how it has been remembered, I think about myself at age 13. I was going to Catholic school, I was an altar boy, the youth group I went to took place in a convent. Everything I did, my whole life, the Church was at the center of it, and I think about how Pope John Paul II said Pope John Paul II loved me -- well, Pope John Paul II didn't.

Laura Brown :

In some cases an airman may fill out the first page of the questionnaire before visit ing with the doctor and once the doctor's visit is complete the form is updated.

Charles Lester :

People come from around the world to visit our coast.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

• ^  Princeton's WordNet http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=Visit
• ^  Wiktionary https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Visit
• ^  Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visit
• ^  ChatGPT https://chat.openai.com
• ^  Webster Dictionary https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Visit
• ^  Wikidata https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=Visit
• ^  Chambers 20th Century Dictionary https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=Visit

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