hippocratic oath
Preserved but no longer current.
A code of ethics governing the profession and sworn to by physicians upon taking a doctor's degree. The oath relates particularly to the inviolability of secrecy concerning any communication made by a patient in the course of consultation, and en- joins the absolute integrity essential in dealing with problems arising from a patient's confes- sion or revelation.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Examples
Tatoeba sentence #1324751 (CC BY 2.0 FR, tatoeba.org, retrieved 2026-07-31)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “hippocratic oath” mean?
A code of ethics governing the profession and sworn to by physicians upon taking a doctor's degree. The oath relates particularly to the inviolability of secrecy concerning any communication made by a patient in the course of consultation, and en- joins the absolute integrity essential in dealing with problems arising from a patient's confes- sion or revelation.
Is “hippocratic oath” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.