What does locum mean?
A locum is a person who temporarily takes the place of another person in a job or professional role. The best-established modern use is for a doctor, physician, or other healthcare practitioner who works for a limited period, often while a permanent employee is absent or a position is being filled. The word is also used more generally for a temporary stand-in in another organization or profession. In these contexts, locum distinguishes a short-term replacement from a permanent employee and can suggest continuity of service during staff changes. Its unusual history comes from Latin: the word was borrowed as a shortened form of the Latin phrase locum tenens, literally “holding the place.” Today it remains particularly associated with medicine, though it is no longer restricted to that field.
nounA person who temporarily takes another person's place or position, especially a doctor or other medical professional. The term is also used more generally for a temporary substitute.
- A temporary substitute for a professional, especially a doctor or other medical practitioner.
- More generally, any person temporarily performing someone else's role or occupying their position.
"She worked as a locum physician while the hospital searched for a permanent replacement."
"The clinic arranged for a locum to cover the physician's leave."
"He joined the team as a locum for the remainder of the season."
The plural is used for multiple temporary substitutes, especially doctors working temporarily in a healthcare setting.
"The practice has employed several locums during the busy winter months."
A locum takes the place of another professional, so the word literally points to a person occupying a temporary place.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does locum come from?
The word comes from Latin locum tenens, meaning “one holding the place,” a phrase used for a substitute or deputy. Medieval Latin shortened this to locum, and the English word was established in the context of temporary substitutes, especially in law and later medicine. Its English cognate relatives include local, locate, location, and locus, all based on Latin locus, “place.”
Related word forms
How locum is actually used
In contemporary British and American English, the word is most common in medical and healthcare contexts. It is formal but widely understood, and it can imply that the replacement is temporary rather than a permanent member of staff.
Easily confused with locum
Locum means a temporary substitute, whereas locational means relating to a particular place or location.