medicine

noun

med·​i·​cine ˈme-di-sən How to pronounce medicine (audio)
British usually
ˈmed-sən How to pronounce medicine (audio)
Synonyms of medicinenext
1
a
: a substance or preparation used in treating disease
cough medicine
b
: something that affects well-being
he's bad medicine—Zane Grey
2
a
: the science and art dealing with the maintenance of health and the prevention, alleviation, or cure of disease
She's interested in a career in medicine.
b
: the branch of medicine concerned with the nonsurgical treatment of disease
3
: a substance (such as a drug or potion) used to treat something other than disease
4
: an object held in traditional American Indian belief to give control over natural or magical forces
also : magical power or a magical rite
medicine transitive verb

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of medicine in a Sentence

He forgot to take his medicine. Did you look in the medicine cabinet for a pain reliever? Their research has led to many important advances in modern medicine. She's interested in a career in medicine.
Recent Examples on the Web Not only is heart disease the leading cause of death for Americans, but Black Americans are also more vulnerable to cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure, according to Annapoorna Kini, a professor of medicine and cardiology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. —Trey Williams, Fortune, 17 Apr. 2024 What to do: Prescription medicines and good diabetes control help in treatment. —Elizabeth Woolley, Verywell Health, 15 Apr. 2024 At that time, late ‘90s medicine was helping people. —Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 15 Apr. 2024 Latinas get less folic acid Dr. Megan Jones sees many high-risk pregnancies among Latina farmworkers as a maternal-fetal medicine specialist on California’s Central Coast. —Ana B. Ibarra, The Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2024 However, Holly Middlekauff, MD, a professor of medicine and physiology at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine, told Health that the study was limited by researchers not knowing whether a person had ever smoked tobacco in the past. —Kaitlin Sullivan, Health, 12 Apr. 2024 The European Parliament has voted overwhelmingly to adopt legislation that is supposed to transform the way medicines are brought to market and accessed across much of Europe. —Ed Silverman, STAT, 11 Apr. 2024 The restoration will include new fencing, walking paths, benches, interpretive signs, and a garden with plants used by native Americans for medicine, food and other purposes. —Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Apr. 2024 Perhaps more controversial—at least to some Orthodox Christians—is Bartholomew’s emphatic call for believers to accept unreservedly the findings of modern science and medicine. —Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'medicine.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin medicina, from feminine of medicinus of a physician, from medicus

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of medicine was in the 13th century

Phrases Containing medicine

Dictionary Entries Near medicine

medicinal wafer

medicine

medicine bag

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Medicine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/medicine. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.

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Kids Definition

medicine

noun
med·​i·​cine ˈmed-ə-sən How to pronounce medicine (audio)
1
: a substance or preparation used in treating disease
2
: the science or art that deals with the prevention, cure, or easing of disease
especially : the practice of the physician as it differs from that of the surgeon
3
: an object, power, or ceremony held to give control over natural or magical forces

Medical Definition

medicine

noun
med·​i·​cine
ˈmed-ə-sən, British usually ˈmed-sən
1
: a substance or preparation used in treating disease
2
a
: the science and art dealing with the maintenance of health and the prevention, alleviation, or cure of disease
b
: the branch of medicine concerned with the nonsurgical treatment of disease

More from Merriam-Webster on medicine

Nglish: Translation of medicine for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of medicine for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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