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Synonyms

barbiturate

American  
[bahr-bich-er-it, -uh-reyt, bahr-bi-toor-it, -eyt, -tyoor-] / bɑrˈbɪtʃ ər ɪt, -əˌreɪt, ˌbɑr bɪˈtʊər ɪt, -eɪt, -ˈtyʊər- /

noun

Pharmacology.

  1. any of a group of barbituric acid derivatives, used in medicine as sedatives and hypnotics.

barbiturate British  
/ -ˌreɪt, bɑːˈbɪtjʊrɪt /

noun

  1. a derivative of barbituric acid, such as phenobarbital, used in medicine as a sedative, hypnotic, or anticonvulsant

"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
barbiturate Scientific  
/ bär-bĭch′ər-ĭt /

  1. Any of a group of drugs that act as depressants of the central nervous system, are highly addictive, and are used primarily as sedatives and anticonvulsants. Phenobarbital and pentobarbital are examples of barbiturates.

Other Word Forms

  • nonbarbiturate noun

Etymology

Origin of barbiturate

First recorded in 1925–30; barbitur(ic) + -ate 2

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.

The publication also quotes a medical expert who observed that pentobarbital, the single-drug barbiturate used in Black’s execution, “should cause rapid unconsciousness. It sounds like this did not occur.”

From Slate • Aug. 8, 2025

The report showed that the state ultimately opted not to buy pentobarbital from a veterinarian 2017, but did consider importing the barbiturate internationally before scuttling that over logistical concerns.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 29, 2022

Some switched to using a single drug, the barbiturate pentobarbital, which is a sedative and anticonvulsant often used before surgeries or to treat epilepsy.

From Scientific American • Sep. 23, 2022

But conspiracists wondering why the deputy medical examiner who performed the autopsy found no barbiturate residue in the 36-year-old movie star’s stomach if she ingested the drugs orally were disappointed by the answers.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 4, 2022

Stephen Gray’s deposition, taken last year and unsealed May 24, suggests Ohio may have a possible source of a barbiturate called pentobarbital through a compounding pharmacist.

From Washington Times • Jun. 5, 2017

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.