THC

American

[tee-eych-see] / ˈtiˈeɪtʃˈsi /

abbreviation

Pharmacology.

tetrahydrocannabinol: the primary psychoactive component in marijuana, hashish, and other preparations derived from cannabis plants, especially Cannabis sativa, or produced synthetically.

Marijuana potency in these dispensaries is anywhere from 15 to 30 percent THC.

THC British

abbreviation

tetrahydrocannabidinol: the active ingredient in cannabis, giving it its narcotic and psychoactive effects

"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 THC

First recorded in 1965–70

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.

Newsom has equated these actions to the state’s efforts in 2024 to quash the sale of hemp products containing cannabinoids such as THC.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 4, 2026

Since early 2020, shares of hospital operator Tenet Healthcare THC -0.79%decrease; red down pointing triangle have quintupled while HCA Healthcare HCA 0.48%increase; green up pointing triangle has more than tripled.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 13, 2026

They found that the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, which is often overactivated in ovarian cancer and contributes to tumor progression and drug resistance, appeared to return to more normal activity after treatment with CBD and THC.

From Science Daily • Dec. 15, 2025

A 2024 case study published in Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology found that a combination of CBD and THC improved one dog’s lupus symptoms.

From Slate • Aug. 11, 2024

The THC program worked about 30 times faster than it would have done using the standard algorithm.

From Underground by Dreyfus, Suelette

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