Palpation is a medical examinationcareful checking of a person’s body for medical information techniquea method or way of doing something where a health professional uses their hands to feel the body. It helps assessto judge or measure how something is things like size, shape, firmness, or position.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-15. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /pælˈpeɪʃən/
Easy pronunciation: pal-PAY-shun (approximate spelling).
Stress: Stress the second syllable: PAY.
Medical noun meaning examination by touch.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-15. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Palpation Meaning
checking something by feeling it with your hands
Part of speech: noun
Definition: A medical method of examining the body by touching and feeling with the hands.
Example: The doctor used palpation to check for tenderness in the abdomen.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- tactual exploration — Matches the formal medical sense of examining by touch.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-15. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Palpation Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- tactual exploration
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-15. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- Using palpation to mean any kind of touch or general inspection. It is specifically a medical examination by feeling the body.
- Confusing palpation with palpitate or palpitations, which relate to beating or heart fluttering rather than examination by touch.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-15. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does palpation mean in medicine?
In medicine, palpation means examining a part of the body by feeling it with the hands, usually to check its size, shape, tenderness, or position.
Is palpation a general word for touching?
No. It is a technical medical term, not a general word for touch.
What is a simple synonym for palpation?
A close synonym is tactual exploration, though it is also a technical term.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-15. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.