laxative
Americannoun
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laxatives
plural
adjective
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of, relating to, or constituting a laxative; purgative.
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Archaic.
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(of the bowels) subject to looseness.
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(of a disease) characterized by looseness of the bowels.
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noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of laxative
1350–1400; Middle English laxatif (< Middle French ) < Medieval Latin laxātīvus loosening ( see laxation, -ive)
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:
He quickly noticed the laxative effect for which Epsom salts would become world-famous, drawing hordes of stopped-up tourists to the town for decades to come.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 6, 2024
These so-called bulk sweeteners, such as sorbitol and mannitol, can have a laxative effect, so they aren't great options.
From Salon ● Feb. 28, 2024
There are also potential safety concerns - and they extend beyond the laxative effects that high consumption of polyols can produce.
From BBC ● Dec. 14, 2023
One who found that the laxative alone dried the skin too much mixed it with coconut oil.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 15, 2023
Take a laxative, such as prunes, and eat nourishing food.
From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool
Because the root problem is the loss of this protective mucus rather than sluggish intestinal movement, standard laxatives and drugs designed to stimulate gut motion may not provide relief.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 19, 2026
Ivan now has a care package so his constipation can be managed at home with laxatives and daily bowel wash outs.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2025
I’m using stool softeners and laxatives as well as walking and drinking water.
From Seattle Times ● May 29, 2024
When taken at levels beyond their recommended amounts, osmotic laxatives can also affect the balance of electrolytes—they strip the body of the essentials it needs to function.
From Scientific American ● Nov. 1, 2023
It was no wonder the main medicines of this era were laxatives.
From "Kindred" by Octavia Butler
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.
