Origin: Latin suffix -ary
Urinary has 4 different meanings across 1 category:
A urinary device or fixture: a urinal.
"The old building required replacing its broken urinary fixture before it could reopen to the public."
In plain English: Urinary refers to anything related to how your body gets rid of waste through urine.
"The patient was admitted to the hospital for urinary retention after taking too many sedatives."
of or relating to the function or production or secretion of urine
"The patient's urinary output decreased significantly after taking the new medication."
of or relating to the urinary system of the body
"The patient was scheduled for a checkup to examine his urinary health after reporting frequent discomfort."
Pertaining to urine, its production, function, or excretion.
"The urinary system includes the kidneys and bladder, which work together to filter blood and remove waste as urine."
In plain English: Urinary means relating to your bladder and how you pee.
"The doctor asked about his urinary health during the routine checkup."
Usage: Use the adjective urinary when describing anything related to the bladder, kidneys, or the process of producing and eliminating urine, such as in "urinary tract infection." Do not use it interchangeably with the noun form referring specifically to a toilet fixture like a urinal.
The word urinary comes from the New Latin term ūrinārius, which was formed by combining "urine" with a suffix meaning pertaining to something. It entered English directly through this construction rather than evolving gradually over time like many other medical terms.