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Synonyms

medication

American  
[med-i-key-shuhn] / ˌmɛd ɪˈkeɪ ʃən /

noun

  1. the use or application of medicine.

  2. a medicinal substance; medicament.


medication British  
/ ˌmɛdɪˈkeɪʃən /

noun

  1. treatment with drugs or remedies

  2. a drug or remedy

"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

Other Word Forms

  • antimedication adjective
  • hypermedication noun
  • overmedication noun

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."

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing medication

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.

As new options pop up, patients have more control over how they take the medication and how they pay for it.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026

He then listed the medication, though that portion of the footage was redacted.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

And the type of medication used, the dose and how long it is taken for have all been linked with greater weight loss.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

Subcutaneous injections deliver medication into the fatty tissue layer between the skin and muscle.

From Barron's • Apr. 6, 2026

They’d grown painfully intense—like she’d been forced to withdraw from a life-saving medication.

From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan