laxative
Americannoun
adjective
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of, relating to, or constituting a laxative; purgative.
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Archaic.
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(of the bowels) subject to looseness.
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(of a disease) characterized by looseness of the bowels.
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noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of laxative
1350–1400; Middle English laxatif (< Middle French ) < Medieval Latin laxātīvus loosening ( see laxation, -ive)
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
He quickly noticed the laxative effect for which Epsom salts would become world-famous, drawing hordes of stopped-up tourists to the town for decades to come.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 6, 2024
These so-called bulk sweeteners, such as sorbitol and mannitol, can have a laxative effect, so they aren't great options.
From Salon ● Feb. 28, 2024
There are also potential safety concerns - and they extend beyond the laxative effects that high consumption of polyols can produce.
From BBC ● Dec. 14, 2023
The range is so large because almost all the investigations rely on self-reported data and use different criteria to determine what constitutes laxative misuse.
From Scientific American ● Nov. 1, 2023
All those except Yossarian reporting on sick call with temperatures below 102 had their gums and toes painted with gendan violet solution and were given a laxative to throw away into the bushes.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
Overall, the findings indicate that certain laxatives may help slow the progression of kidney deterioration.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 3, 2025
Ms Nicklas, who works in north Wales, said before her surgery she was "taking laxatives like they were smarties" but "still struggling to go to the toilet".
From BBC ● May 11, 2025
I’m using stool softeners and laxatives as well as walking and drinking water.
From Seattle Times ● May 29, 2024
“The main effect of laxatives really is in the colon,” he says.
From Scientific American ● Nov. 1, 2023
I came in late, repeatedly and with the flimsiest of excuses; made shockingly incorrect change; even misshelved things on purpose, stocking lotions among laxatives and birth control with baby shampoo.
From "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
