Ritalin

American

[rit-l-in] / ˈrɪt l ɪn /

Pharmacology, Trademark.

a brand of methylphenidate in its hydrochloride form.

Ritalin British

/ ˈrɪtəlɪn /

noun

a preparation of methylphenidate, a drug related to amphetamine, used to treat attention deficit disorder in children

"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

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.

Treatment typically involved a prescription for a stimulant, such as Ritalin, but parents weren’t thrilled.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 9, 2025

Some doctors might recommend switching to another A.D.H.D. drug like Ritalin or Vyvanse.

From New York Times • Nov. 16, 2022

The dispute involved an article about the advantages of prescribing the Novartis drug Ritalin to treat children with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder.

From Salon • Nov. 10, 2019

Diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and on Ritalin at age 5.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 15, 2019

Whole families consume hours of this visual Ritalin, hypnotized by cheap scenery built to resemble unattainable riches.

From After the Rain : how the West lost the East by Vaknin, Samuel

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023