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

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

From Salon • Aug. 19, 2023

Donations from Dame Jillian Sackler, whose husband, Arthur, died years before OxyContin arrived on the market, began in 2000 in amounts that by 2017 reached $5 million, reports show.

From New York Times • Apr. 23, 2023

As Poitras frames it: “A renowned artist with enormous power in the art world decides to leverage her power to go after” the Sackler family, owners of Purdue Pharma, maker of OxyContin.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 29, 2022

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