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 Of the nine maternal fetal medicine specialists who practiced in Idaho at the beginning of 2022, only four remained in the state a year later, the Idaho Medical Association previously told the Statesman. Ian Max Stevenson, Idaho Statesman, 23 Mar. 2024 The American Board of Addiction Medicine, which isn’t recognized by the Florida Board of Medicine, says he was certified in addiction medicine. Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 22 Mar. 2024 Newsletters Sign up for Morning Rounds Understand how science, health policy, and medicine shape the world every day Privacy Policy Daniel Heller, head of the Cancer Nanomedicine Laboratory at the Sloan Kettering Institute, presented a new way to attack brain tumors. Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 22 Mar. 2024 The crisis in Haiti intensified earlier this month as criminal gangs and militias began wreaking coordinated havoc on businesses and leaving necessities including food, medicine and gas in short supply. Alexandra Banner, CNN, 20 Mar. 2024 In the Indian Ayurvedic holistic medicine tradition, this contact with this metal is thought to improve the skin's pH balance, which is thought to have the potential to prevent acne and contribute to better skin texture. Isabella Ubaldi, Health, 20 Mar. 2024 There is no specific medicine to treat people who are sick with norovirus. Alex Groth, Journal Sentinel, 19 Mar. 2024 According to Google, this new chatty health bot is already performing well on practice tests based on sleep medicine certification exams. Thomas Germain / Gizmodo, Quartz, 19 Mar. 2024 After his graduation from the Shahid Beheshti University in medicine, Dr. Amir Hashemloo took keen interest in skincare, hair care, and beauty. Maria Williams, USA TODAY, 18 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 29 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

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