anti-inflammatory
Americanadjective
noun
-
anti-inflammatories
plural
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of anti-inflammatory
First recorded in 1955–60
Explanation
An anti-inflammatory is an anti-inflammatory drug: a type of medicine that treats swelling and redness. Inflammation originally meant to be consumed by flames, and these days it usually means a type of soreness somewhere on your body that is red, feels hot, and and swells up. The anti prefix tells you that this word goes against the root, and anti-inflammatories are drugs that treat or fight against inflammation. If you have a red, swollen ankle, an anti-inflammatory might help.
Vocabulary lists containing anti-inflammatory
Power Prefix: Anti
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: ant-, anti-
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Roots: ant, anti
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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.
See Examples For:
Some doctors also expect that these drugs have an anti-inflammatory benefit that could help these patients, particularly those with knee pain.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
The hotel’s medical director, Dr. Massimiliano Mayrhofer, assured me that Palace Merano’s combination of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western science, along with an anti-inflammatory diet, could mitigate some of my menopause woes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
These compounds have drawn considerable interest from pharmaceutical researchers because many are associated with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-carcinogenic properties.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026
For every trending supplement, there is an unprocessed, wholefood alternative – from the anti-inflammatory benefits of turmeric, staving off cramp with pickle juice or consumption of high-nitrate foods like beetroot before competition.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
“Ponya seeds are anti-inflammatory, disinfecting, and, incidentally, an excellent source of protein. Here.”
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
He needed the pills, although it was unclear whether he was referring to painkillers, anti-inflammatories or both.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2025
It stands for protection, elevation, avoid anti-inflammatories, compression and education.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 25, 2025
It’s also resistant to most treatments, such as anti-inflammatories.
From National Geographic ● Dec. 1, 2023
Piroxicam is in the same class of anti-inflammatories as ibuprofen and paracetamol.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 16, 2023
Well, it’s about the body, too—she’s had to ice her knee every day in the last week, plus take a few anti-inflammatories.
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
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.
