Ma'anar ƙamus na kalmar "masanin ilimin halin ɗan adam" shine:Masanin kimiyya wanda ya kware wajen nazarin tsarin jijiyoyi, musamman ma kwakwalwa da alaƙarta da ɗabi'a da fahimta. Masanan ilimin halittar jiki suna amfani da dabaru da hanyoyi iri-iri don bincika tsari, aiki, haɓakawa, da juyin halittar tsarin jijiya, daga matakin sel guda ɗaya zuwa duka da'irori da tsarin jijiyoyi. Ayyukan su yana da muhimmiyar tasiri ga fahimtar aikin kwakwalwa na yau da kullum, da kuma ganewar asali da kuma maganin cututtuka na jijiyoyi da tabin hankali.