What does amphetamine mean?
Amphetamine is a powerful synthetic stimulant that affects the central nervous system, increasing alertness, energy, and wakefulness while suppressing appetite. First synthesised in the late nineteenth century and widely used during the Second World War to combat fatigue among soldiers, it later found legitimate medical application as a treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy. Today it remains available by prescription under names such as Adderall, yet amphetamines are also among the most commonly misused substances worldwide, valued illicitly for their euphoric effects. Because of its dual identity as both medicine and controlled substance, the word appears frequently in clinical literature, news reports on drug policy, and discussions of public health. Related compounds include methamphetamine and dextroamphetamine, which share its core chemical structure but differ in potency and legal status.
nounA synthetic central nervous system stimulant used medically to treat ADHD and narcolepsy, and misused recreationally for its euphoric and appetite-suppressing effects.
- A synthetic stimulant drug of the phenethylamine class, used in medicine to treat conditions such as ADHD and narcolepsy.
- Any of various derivatives or salts of this compound.
"The medication contains a low dose of amphetamine to help manage her symptoms of attention deficit disorder."
"He was arrested for possession of amphetamine with intent to supply."
"Amphetamine-based medications can improve focus in patients diagnosed with narcolepsy."
The plural typically denotes multiple doses or the wider family of related stimulant compounds rather than individual instances.
"The laboratory screen tested positive for amphetamines."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of amphetamine
The word amphetamine derives from its full chemical name, alpha-methylphenethylamine, an abbreviated contraction coined after the compound's synthesis in Germany in the late nineteenth century. It belongs to a family of terms built on 'amine', itself rooted in ammonia, reflecting the drug's chemical structure. Closely related coinages such as methamphetamine followed as chemists developed derivative compounds from the same base structure.
How amphetamine is actually used
In medical contexts the word refers to prescription stimulants and is used neutrally; in informal contexts it often carries connotations of illicit recreational use. The plural 'amphetamines' commonly refers collectively to drugs of this class.
Easily confused with amphetamine
Methamphetamine is a closely related but chemically distinct and more potent stimulant drug, whereas amphetamine is the parent compound used in several prescription medications.