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.

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

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says acetaminophen is safe to use during pregnancy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 26, 2026

Could his trouble pronouncing acetaminophen be a phonemic paraphasic error?

From Slate • Jan. 26, 2026

They compared pregnancies in which acetaminophen was used with those in which it was not, paying particular attention to studies that examined siblings born to the same mother.

From Science Daily • Jan. 19, 2026

Heard says interest in using fomepizole for acetaminophen overdose dates back to the 1990s, when he was training in medical toxicology.

From Science Daily • Jan. 18, 2026

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