medication
Americannoun
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medications
plural
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the use or application of medicine.
-
a medicinal substance; medicament.
noun
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treatment with drugs or remedies
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a drug or remedy
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of medication
1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin medicātiōn- (stem of medicātiō ). See medicate, -ion
Explanation
If your doctor prescribes something for you to take, it's medication. Medication is another way to say "medicine" or "drug." Your poison ivy rash might be so bad that you need to take medication to stop the itching. People need medication for all sorts of illnesses and disorders throughout their lives, from headache medication to medication for cancer treatment. In the fifteenth century, the word meant "medical treatment of a disease or wound," from the Latin medicationem, "healing or cure," with its root in medicus, which means both "healing" and "physician."
Vocabulary lists containing medication
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Pharmacy Words
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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 shared his experiences with therapy and medication in 2024, and also spoke about the more difficult times he has faced as a librarian and finding joy during difficult times.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
"This is a comprehensive systematic evaluation of long-term medication effects on the microbiome using real-world medical health records," said Professor Elin Org, corresponding author.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 24, 2026
"I didn't want to take strong medication which made me feel ill, not in control and often so confused that I felt I'd dementia," she said.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
Though visits with a primary care doctor are covered by a DPC fee, patients still need insurance, on top of that annual fee, for medication, hospital stays, specialist visits, surgeries, and emergencies.
From Slate ● Aug. 22, 2026
Interestingly, there was no difference in the amount or quality of information they gave their patients; they didn’t provide more details about medication or the patient’s condition.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
Some attribute the recent emphasis on protein intake to the rise of GLP-1 medications, which often decrease appetite and make it challenging to eat enough protein to preserve lean muscle mass during weight loss.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
She said the nonprofit has seen an increase in confusion and fear over pregnancy and postpartum mental-health conditions and even medications lately, in part because of social-media discourse about Clancy’s experience.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
As her mental health declined, she sought care from doctors and was prescribed varying cocktails of medications over several months for depression and insomnia.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
Yet despite their remarkable effectiveness, scientists still do not fully understand what these medications are doing inside the brain.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 20, 2026
Some of his medications probably made him drowsy.
From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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.
