medicate

[med-i-keyt]

verb (used with object)

medicated, medicating 

1. to treat with medicine or medicaments.

2. to impregnate with a medicine.

   medicated cough drops; a medicated bandage.

medicate

/ ˈmɛdɪˌkeɪt /

verb

1. to cover or impregnate (a wound, etc) with an ointment, cream, etc

2. to treat (a patient) with a medicine

3. to add a medication to (a bandage, shampoo, etc)

Other Word Forms

• demedicate verb (used with object)
• overmedicate verb (used with object)
• premedicate verb (used with object)
• unmedicated adjective
• medicative adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of medicate¹

First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin medicātus “healed,” past participle of medicāre, medicārī “to heal,” from medicus “physician”; medical

Word History and Origins

Origin of medicate¹

C17: from Latin medicāre to heal

Example Sentences

The medicated group was more than five times as likely to be on additional psychiatric medications four years later.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“When he had a real mild fever and we medicated him right away, he acted normal. I actually was maybe looking at it with rose-colored glasses.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Pre-match there are plenty of sore heads, which most opt to medicate with a free pint being offered by the Fog on the Tyne pub to the first 100 Truro fans who show up.

Read more on BBC

The Colombian survivor arrived in his homeland "with a traumatic brain injury, sedated, medicated, and breathing with the help of a ventilator", according to Colombia's interior minister.

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She had been on anti-depressants but has come off them and is "correctly medicated" for her diagnoses.

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Related Words

• anesthetize 
• desensitize 
• sedate