naloxone

American  

[nuh-lok-sohn, nal-uhk-sohn] / nəˈlɒk soʊn, ˈnæl əkˌsoʊn /

noun

Pharmacology.

1. an opioid antagonist, C 19 H 21 NO 4 , used to reverse the acute respiratory depression that occurs with opioid overdose.

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naloxone British  

/ nəˈlɒksəʊn /

noun

1. a chemical substance that counteracts the effects of opiates by binding to opiate receptors on cells

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Etymology

Origin of naloxone

First recorded in 1960–65; by shortening and rearrangement of dihydroxy-, morphinan-, and -one, components of its chemical name

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

naloxone

Ferrer credited the continued reduction to outreach workers and community partners who “are working every day to connect people to treatment, distribute lifesaving naloxone and meet people where they are without judgment.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026

Telemedicine and mobile clinics have made access to treatment more accessible for some communities, and policy changes in recent years have increased access to the overdose-reversing drug naloxone.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 2026

She is a nurse with more than 30 years' experience and can prescribe treatments and hand out naloxone, which she describes as "like a duty of care or a moral issue".

From BBC ● Feb. 12, 2026

Also affected was ACT in Michigan, which dispatched AmeriCorps members to train communities – for example, at churches, businesses and mosques – how to use naloxone, as well as distributing it through various channels.

From Salon ● May 24, 2025

Most often administered as a nasal spray, naloxone finds and replaces opioid receptors, binding stronger than the opioid and effectively blocking it.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 6, 2024

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