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Showing results for self-medication. Search instead for Self++Medication.

self-medication

American  
[self-med-i-key-shuhn] / ˈsɛlfˌmɛd ɪˈkeɪ ʃən /

noun

  1. the use of medicine without medical supervision to treat one's own ailment.


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.

Crisps, chocolate bars and ice cream are identified as the culprits of this tendency, which the study viewed as "representing an early form of self-medication".

From Barron's • May 22, 2026

This includes reducing infections through better water, sanitation and hygiene, improving vaccine uptake, strengthening hospital infection control policies, educating physicians and deterring self-medication by patients.

From BBC • Dec. 4, 2024

Even though there is evidence of certain self-medication behaviors in animals, so far it has never been known that animals treat their wounds with healing plants.

From Science Daily • May 2, 2024

Previous studies have described other types of self-medication in apes and other animals.

From Science Magazine • May 1, 2024

The layman naturally adopted the theory and the motto of his medical advisers; hence in his self-medication and also under advice he consumes such vast quantities of purgative nostrums.

From Intestinal Ills Chronic Constipation, Indigestion, Autogenetic Poisons, Diarrhea, Piles, Etc. Also Auto-Infection, Auto-Intoxication, Anemia, Emaciation, Etc. Due to Proctitis and Colitis by Jamison, Alcinous B. (Alcinous Burton)

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