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.
The nearest health centre was a long journey away, so Quiñonez's mother, a midwife, tried to ease the baby's pain with medicinal plants.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
They’re refreshing in a way that’s almost medicinal: salty, sharp, ice-cold.
From Salon ● May 28, 2026
Some native fungi, including those with ecological or medicinal importance, were reduced, while only a small number of species seemed able to coexist with the invasive mushroom.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 24, 2026
He also emphasized empirical medical evidence over unproven theory, stressed the body’s natural ability to heal, and generally advocated what today we would call holistic medicine, including the use of medicinal herbs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 14, 2026
I push the glass back toward him, turning my head away from the medicinal odor wafting out of the glass.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
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.
