OxyContin

American  

[ahk-see-kahn-tn, ahk-see-kahn-tn] / ˌɑk siˈkɑn tn, ˈɑk siˌkɑn tn /

Pharmacology, Trademark.

1. a brand of oxycodone.

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OxyContin British  

/ ˌɒksɪˈkɒntɪn /

noun

1. an opiate drug, oxycodone hydrochloride, used as a painkiller and, illegally, as an alternative to heroin

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Etymology

Origin of OxyContin

First recorded in 1990–95; oxy- ² ( def. ) + contin(uous) ( def. ), perhaps after the controlled-release nature of the drug

Example Sentences

The Supreme Court in 2024 narrowed bankruptcy courts’ authority to shield such nonbankrupt third parties from lawsuits when it ruled against a chapter 11 plan from OxyContin manufacturer Purdue Pharma.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 12, 2026

In 1995, the Food and Drug Administration approved OxyContin, a time-release version of the painkiller oxycodone.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 6, 2023

Matthew Broderick plays Richard Sackler who is the architect of OxyContin.

From Salon • Aug. 19, 2023

Dame Jillian Sackler, whose husband, Arthur, died years before OxyContin arrived on the market, began giving to the Academies in 2000, and donated $5 million by 2017, Academies reports show.

From New York Times • Apr. 28, 2023

Sackler family members have not unequivocally offered an apology, though they issued a new statement of regret about the toll of OxyContin.

From Washington Times • Mar. 3, 2022