anti-inflammatory
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of anti-inflammatory
First recorded in 1955–60
Explanation
An anti-inflammatory is an anti-inflammatory drug: a type of medicine that treats swelling and redness. Inflammation originally meant to be consumed by flames, and these days it usually means a type of soreness somewhere on your body that is red, feels hot, and and swells up. The anti prefix tells you that this word goes against the root, and anti-inflammatories are drugs that treat or fight against inflammation. If you have a red, swollen ankle, an anti-inflammatory might help.
Vocabulary lists containing anti-inflammatory
Power Prefix: Anti
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: ant-, anti-
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Roots: ant, anti
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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.
See Examples For:
They used the rat tapeworm Hymenolepis diminuta, a non-pathogenic species commonly used to study interactions among parasites, gut microorganisms, and the immune system because of its known anti-inflammatory properties.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 10, 2026
Multiple FMD cycles lead to fat loss with little or no lean-mass loss, promote A1C reduction and diabetes regression and have anti-inflammatory effects, including in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
Although Skyrizi and Rinvoq lead the portfolio today, the segment was previously anchored by Humira—an anti-inflammatory drug that reigned as the industry’s most valuable medicine for half a decade.
From Barron's ● Jun. 22, 2026
Ibuprofen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug that reduces swelling as well as easing pain, plus it lowers prostaglandins.
From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026
Politely he asks if there is a way that he can pay for his care, as well as the antibiotics and the anti-inflammatory drugs.
From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario
It stands for protection, elevation, avoid anti-inflammatories, compression and education.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 25, 2025
Daily tasks include reminding me to take anti-inflammatories, to alerting me to oncoming Tietze attacks and fainting episodes.
From BBC ● Dec. 2, 2023
It’s also resistant to most treatments, such as anti-inflammatories.
From National Geographic ● Dec. 1, 2023
They are also sought to treat join pain, prevent cancer and serve as anti-inflammatories — medical uses sometimes validated by science.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 1, 2023
Well, it’s about the body, too—she’s had to ice her knee every day in the last week, plus take a few anti-inflammatories.
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
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.
