medication
Americannoun
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the use or application of medicine.
-
a medicinal substance; medicament.
noun
-
treatment with drugs or remedies
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a drug or remedy
Other Word Forms
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.
Mifepristone is one of two drugs used in medication abortions, the most common method of ending a pregnancy.
From Salon • May 13, 2026
"The blood pressure effect size is similar to that seen in landmark drug trials, but achieved without medication, cost or side effects. This makes it highly scalable for community-based prevention, including in resource-limited settings."
From Science Daily • May 10, 2026
For adults with mental conditions resistant to therapy, psychiatric medication can be effective.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 2026
More than one in four people who have an abortion obtain medication via telehealth, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which tracks reproductive health data.
From Barron's • May 10, 2026
As he lay sick in June 1836, doctors asked Madison if he would like medication that might help him survive until Independence Day.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
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.
