acetaminophen

[uh-see-tuh-min-uh-fuhn]

noun

Pharmacology.

1. a crystalline substance, C 8 H 9 NO 2 , used as a headache and pain reliever and to reduce fever.

acetaminophen

1. A crystalline compound used in medicine to relieve pain and reduce fever. Chemical formula: C ₈ H ₉ NO ₂.

Word History and Origins

Origin of acetaminophen¹

First recorded in 1955–60; acet- + amino- + phen(ol)

Example Sentences

The new analysis was conducted in response to growing public debate about the safety of acetaminophen use while pregnant.

Read more on Science Daily

Most of the acetaminophen and ibuprofen imported into the U.S. comes from China.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Claims that prenatal exposure to acetaminophen caused autism had emerged as a legal threat earlier this decade, when hundreds of personal-injury lawsuits were filed in federal courts.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The company responded, saying that “sound science clearly shows” that taking acetaminophen, the generic name for Tylenol, does not cause autism.

Read more on MarketWatch

The suit claims that research shows a link between prenatal and early-childhood use of the active ingredient acetaminophen and autism.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal