: a sedative agent or drug
Synonyms
Examples of sedative in a Sentence
Adjective
some people find a glass of wine to be a civilized and sedative addition to an evening meal
Noun
The patient was given a powerful sedative.
Recent Examples on the Web
Claudia Kalb, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Apr. 2021
Her attorney also listed buspirone (an antianxiety drug), hydroxyzine (an antihistamine that is traditionally used for anxiety or insomina), and Ambien (a sedative-hypnotic).
—Jessica Bartlett, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Feb. 2023
See all Example Sentences for sedative 
Adjective
Roget had spent the previous four years since his graduation taking additional courses and working odd jobs, even volunteering in the spring of 1799 as a test subject at the Pneumatic Institution in Clifton, England, for a trial of the sedative nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas.
—Claudia Kalb, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Apr. 2021
Her attorney also listed buspirone (an antianxiety drug), hydroxyzine (an antihistamine that is traditionally used for anxiety or insomina), and Ambien (a sedative-hypnotic).
—Jessica Bartlett, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Feb. 2023
See all Example Sentences for sedative
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sedative.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near sedative
Cite this Entry
“Sedative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sedative. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sedative
1 of 2 adjective
sed·a·tive
ˈsed-ət-iv 
: tending to calm or to ease tension
sedative
2 of 2 noun
: a sedative medicine
Medical Definition
sedative
1 of 2 adjective
sed·a·tive
ˈsed-ət-iv
: tending to calm, moderate, or tranquilize nervousness or excitement
sedative effects of anesthetics and analgesics—Linda C. Haynes et al.
Linda C. Haynes et al.sedative
2 of 2 noun
: a sedative agent or drug
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