medication
Americannoun
-
the use or application of medicine.
-
a medicinal substance; medicament.
noun
-
treatment with drugs or remedies
-
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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The Boy in the Black Suit
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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.
The data showed that two of the most common mistakes were taking the medication daily instead of weekly and starting immediately with the highest dose instead of following the recommended step by step schedule.
From Science Daily • Jul. 9, 2026
According to both Miller and Han, improving education at every step of the prescribing process, from the doctor's office to the pharmacy counter, could help prevent many of these medication errors.
From Science Daily • Jul. 9, 2026
She has gained roughly 10 pounds since starting a low dose of the medication and says she is now at a healthy weight.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 8, 2026
Do not take the medication if you are under 18, pregnant or breastfeeding, and make sure you speak to your doctor about any other medical conditions you have or medication you take.
From BBC • Jul. 6, 2026
My mom told me later that Grandma had decided to stop taking her medication and didn’t want to go to the hospital.
From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles
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.
