medicine

noun

med·​i·​cine ˈme-di-sən How to pronounce medicine (audio)
British usually
ˈmed-sən How to pronounce medicine (audio)
1
a
: a substance or preparation used in treating disease
cough medicine
b
: something that affects well-being
he's bad medicineZane 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

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 British officials revoked Wakefield’s license to practice medicine. Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024 Crammed into a sprawling tent city packed against the Egyptian border, families there are living with severe shortages of food, water, medicine and shelter, and the daily risk of being killed. Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024 Natural medicines, such as gingko and coca leaves, are touted as natural altitude sickness treatments, but few studies have been done on them. Brian Strickland, Discover Magazine, 9 Mar. 2024 End of carousel Atop his bedside table are medicine bottles, a phone charger and a composition notebook that includes an assortment of famous openings and attacks of grandmasters. Clarence Williams, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 With Americans paying more for prescription medicines than any other country, President Joe Biden’s reform looked to save $25 billion through negotiations for drugs paid for by Medicare. Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 8 Mar. 2024 Since launching its assault on Gaza following the attack, Israel has barred entry of food, water, medicine and other supplies, except for a trickle of aid entering the south from Egypt at the Rafah crossing and Israel's Kerem Shalom crossing. Elizabeth Pritchett, Fox News, 8 Mar. 2024 After years of pressure from patient advocates, the agency has taken a more flexible approach to medicines for devastating, incurable diseases like ALS. Adam Feuerstein and Damian Garde, STAT, 8 Mar. 2024 Lots of praying and lots of using our Native medicine. The Arizona Republic, 1 Mar. 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

Dictionary Entries Near medicine

Cite this Entry

“Medicine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/medicine. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!