acetaminophen

American

[uh-see-tuh-min-uh-fuhn] / əˌsi təˈmɪn ə fən /

noun

Pharmacology.

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

acetaminophen Scientific

/ ə-sē′tə-mĭn′ə-fən,ăs′ə- /

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

Etymology

Origin of acetaminophen

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

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:

acetaminophen

"And we are certainly not deciding the approach that policymakers concerned with protecting public health should take to regulating the use of acetaminophen."

From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026

Scientists have studied a potential relationship between acetaminophen use and neurodevelopmental disorders for decades.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026

Meanwhile professional societies representing obstetricians continue to say pregnant women should use acetaminophen to treat pain and fever.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 10, 2026

Could his trouble pronouncing acetaminophen be a phonemic paraphasic error?

From Slate ● Jan. 26, 2026

The analysis was prompted by renewed public concern following claims made in September 2025 suggesting that prenatal exposure to acetaminophen could interfere with brain development and increase the likelihood of autism.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 19, 2026

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