paracetamol

British

/ ˌpærəˈsiːtəˌmɒl, -ˈsɛtə- /

noun

US name: acetaminophen. a mild analgesic and antipyretic drug used as an alternative to aspirin

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of paracetamol

C20: from para-acetamidophenol

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.

Paracetamol is perhaps more familiar to people which might explain why it was bought more often, they suggest.

From BBC • Jun. 14, 2026

The outer cardboard packaging is correctly labelled: "Paracetamol 500mg Tablets" but the inner foil blister pack of pills instead reads: "Aspirin 300mg Dispersable Tablets".

From BBC • Mar. 4, 2025

Even assuming these measures are carried out effectively, people can and do lie about their travel history, and common drugs like Paracetamol are effective in reducing fever.

From Washington Times • Oct. 26, 2014

Paracetamol or ibuprofen are OK to give for a high fever.

From The Guardian • Sep. 28, 2014

Anna, from Africa, says she suffered a stroke inside Yarl’s Wood that left her paralysed down one side, but was put to bed with just Paracetamol.

From Newsweek

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023