medicinal
Americanadjective
-
of, relating to, or having the properties of a medicine; curative; remedial.
medicinal properties; medicinal substances.
-
unpalatable; disagreeable.
a medicinal taste.
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of medicinal
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English word from Latin word medicīnālis. See medicine, -al 1
Explanation
A substance that can cure or heal you is medicinal. Some people swear that chicken soup has medicinal qualities when you have a cold. Herbalists grow medicinal plants, such as mint and witch hazel, that have healing properties for various ailments. Your mother may believe in the medicinal properties of a hot cup of tea, while other people swear by the medicinal quality of the salty sea air. The adjective medicinal comes from medicine and has a Latin root, medicina, "the healing art, a remedy, or medicine."
Vocabulary lists containing medicinal
"Rappaccini's Daughter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne
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Unit 1, Week 3
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med (heal; care for)
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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.
“It’s a cliché, but the truth is that when you express yourself through art, it will always, always make you feel better,” he told Medicinal Media last year.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2024
The Bazan Group's proof-of-concept studies for a wide range of bacterial infections appear across multiple papers published in Science Translational Medicine, the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, and Chemical Communications.
From Science Daily • Feb. 21, 2024
Christopher Hobbs, herbalist, mycologist, and author of Medicinal Mushrooms: The Essential Guide, attributes the recent explosion in interest to an “exponentially” growing scientific literature about the healing qualities of mushrooms.
From National Geographic • Jan. 31, 2024
He said 51 regulated research and development projects are currently taking place around the country, including Cannava in Jujuy province, Agrogenetica Riojana in La Rioja, Biofabrica in Misiones and Medicinal Cannabis in San Juan.
From Reuters • Mar. 8, 2023
Medicinal pastilles burn on chafing dishes surrounding Charlotte's bed.
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
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.
