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officinal

[ uh-fis-uh-nl ]
/ əˈfɪs ə nl /

adjective

kept in stock by apothecaries, as a drug.Compare magistral (def. 1).
recognized by a pharmacopoeia.

noun

an officinal medicine.

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Origin of officinal

1710–20; <Medieval Latin officīnālis of a store or workshop, equivalent to Latin officīn(a) workshop, presumably contraction of opificīna (opific-, stem of opifex artisan, equivalent to opi-, combining form akin to opus work + -fic-, combining form of facere to make, do1 + -īna-ine1; cf. office) + -ālis-al1

OTHER WORDS FROM officinal

of·fic·i·nal·ly, adverbnon·of·fic·i·nal, adjective

Words nearby officinal

Official Solicitor, official strike, officiant, officiary, officiate, officinal, officious, officious will, offing, offish, off-island
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for officinal

British Dictionary definitions for officinal

officinal
/ (ɒˈfɪsɪnəl, ˌɒfɪˈsaɪnəl) pharmacol obsolete /

adjective

(of pharmaceutical products) available without prescription
(of a plant) having pharmacological properties

noun

an officinal preparation or plant

Derived forms of officinal

officinally, adverb

Word Origin for officinal

C17: from Medieval Latin officīnālis, from Latin officīna workshop; see office
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for officinal

officinal
[ ə-fĭs′ə-nəl, ŏf′ĭ-sī′nəl ]

adj.

Readily available in pharmacies; not requiring special preparation.
Recognized by a pharmacopoeia.

n.

An official drug.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.