medication
Americannoun
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medications
plural
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the use or application of medicine.
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a medicinal substance; medicament.
noun
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treatment with drugs or remedies
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a drug or remedy
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of medication
1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin medicātiōn- (stem of medicātiō ). See medicate, -ion
Explanation
If your doctor prescribes something for you to take, it's medication. Medication is another way to say "medicine" or "drug." Your poison ivy rash might be so bad that you need to take medication to stop the itching. People need medication for all sorts of illnesses and disorders throughout their lives, from headache medication to medication for cancer treatment. In the fifteenth century, the word meant "medical treatment of a disease or wound," from the Latin medicationem, "healing or cure," with its root in medicus, which means both "healing" and "physician."
Vocabulary lists containing medication
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Pharmacy Words
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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:
Voters among all ideological groups believe that if a doctor says a service or medication is needed, then insurers should help cover the cost.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
The research team found that JAK inhibitors, including the medication baricitinib, can reduce the activity of genes involved in fighting viral infections.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 27, 2026
They recommend more routine assessments of medication adherence, along with better patient education and practical strategies to make treatment easier to follow.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 25, 2026
For example, one form of a medication could successfully treat a disease, while its mirror-image counterpart might be ineffective or even harmful.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 24, 2026
Camille takes her medication, and Andre does a few lackluster stretches.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
Over the past century, several medications initially promoted as helpful sleep treatments were eventually found to carry serious risks of dependence and habit formation.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 25, 2026
Although medications help many patients manage their condition, a substantial number continue to have blood pressure readings above recommended targets even while receiving treatment.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 24, 2026
Rincón complained of deteriorating health, cardiac problems and insufficient access to the medications needed after a gastric bypass.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
“Right now, the FDA has approved only two medications for PTSD,” Liberzon said.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2026
Two women asked him about his health, any medications he was using, his food restrictions.
From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
