OxyContin
Americannoun
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
The former federal prosecutor was the only one willing to take a big swing against Purdue Pharma in the OxyContin scandal.
From Washington Times ● Nov. 13, 2022
Dr. Sackler, the family member seen as most involved in the company’s aggressive efforts to market OxyContin, remained off camera the whole session, infuriating some of the speakers.
From New York Times ● Mar. 10, 2022
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.
