allopurinol

American

[al-uh-pyoor-uh-nawl, -nol] / ˌæl əˈpyʊər əˌnɔl, -ˌnɒl /

noun

Pharmacology.

a substance, C 5 H 4 N 4 O, used primarily in the treatment of chronic gout to decrease the synthesis of uric acid.

allopurinol British

/ ˌæləʊˈpjʊərɪˌnɒl /

noun

a synthetic drug that reduces blood concentrations of uric acid and is administered orally in the treatment of gout. Formula: C 5 H 4 N 4 O

"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 allopurinol

1960–65; apparently allo- + purine + -ol ¹

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.

Medications such as allopurinol are widely used to lower urate levels in the blood.

From Science Daily • Apr. 14, 2026

“It contains a molecule that’s similar to the drug allopurinol, which is used to treat gout,” Alexon says.

From Washington Post • Aug. 15, 2022

It found that patients on Uloric had a 22 percent higher risk of death from any cause and a 34 percent higher risk of heart-related deaths than patients taking allopurinol, a generic alternative.

From Salon • Jul. 2, 2018

But it may be an answer for some who cannot use allopurinol or other oral drugs for uric-acid-clearance.

From Washington Post • Mar. 7, 2011

Researchers from the University of Dundee said that studies on allopurinol, a generic gout drug, showed it helped people suffering from angina to exercise more and delayed the time until their chest pain started.

From Reuters • Jun. 7, 2010

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