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• off-label
  off-label

  adjective

  of, relating to, or denoting a drug prescribed for a particular indication even though the drug has not yet received approval from the Food and Drug Administration for that disease, condition, or symptom.
• off label
  off label

  adjective

  (of a prescription drug) relating to use, or being used, in ways for which it has not been approved

off-label

American  

[awf-ley-buhl, of‑] / ˈɔfˈleɪ bəl, ˈɒf‑ /

adjective

Informal.

1. of, relating to, or denoting a drug prescribed for a particular indication even though the drug has not yet received approval from the Food and Drug Administration for that disease, condition, or symptom.

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off label British  

adjective

1. (of a prescription drug) relating to use, or being used, in ways for which it has not been approved

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Example Sentences

Researchers at the University of Connecticut report that the treatment caused significant brain damage in mice, raising concerns about its growing use in longevity research and off-label anti-aging therapies.

From Science Daily • May 27, 2026

And, thanks to the condition being underresearched, treatment was mostly with off-label fixes.

From Slate • May 23, 2026

Doctors do prescribe it off-label for hair loss at low doses.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026

Much of that success can be attributed to widespread use of Wegovy and Zepbound and the off-label prescription of GLP-1s approved for diabetes.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 18, 2026

The World Health Organization supports an off-label recommendation for a one-dose schedule based on recent efficacy data from single-dose trials.

From Salon • Feb. 22, 2026