What does medicament mean?
A medicament is a substance or preparation used to treat disease, relieve symptoms, or otherwise produce a therapeutic effect. In contemporary English, the word is formal and literary; most speakers use “medicine” or “medication” in everyday conversation. “Medicament” can refer broadly to a medicinal preparation, as in a physician prescribing a remedy, or more specifically to a particular drug or compound with a therapeutic purpose. Its formal tone often gives it an authoritative, clinical, or historical flavour, making it especially common in medical writing, older prose, and descriptions of traditional remedies. The word is related to the Latin medicamentum, meaning a remedy or drug, and belongs to the same family as “medical,” “medicinal,” and “medication.” Its distinctive value is that it offers a precise, dignified alternative to the more general “medicine.”
nounA medicinal substance or preparation, especially one used as a remedy. The word is formal and literary and is now less common than “medicine” or “medication.”
- A medicinal substance or preparation used as a remedy.
- A drug or other substance intended to produce a therapeutic effect.
"The physician prescribed a soothing medicament for the inflammation."
"The apothecary prepared a bitter medicament for the patient."
"The new medicament is being tested for use in treating infections."
The plural is “medicaments,” with a final -s.
"Several medicaments were prepared in the laboratory."
Medicament is the formal, literary cousin of medicine: a word that sounds best in a physician’s diagnosis or an old-fashioned story.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does medicament come from?
The English word comes from Latin medicamentum, meaning “a remedy” or “drug,” which was derived from medicus, “physician” or “medical.” It entered English through Latin and Old French usage associated with medicine and remedies. Related English words include “medical,” “medicinal,” “medication,” and “medic,” all reflecting the same Latin root.
How medicament is actually used
Medicament is formal and somewhat literary. In everyday modern English, “medicine” and “medication” are much more common. It may refer to a preparation in general or to a particular substance used therapeutically.
Easily confused with medicament
“Medicine” is the usual modern word for a substance used to treat or prevent disease, while “medicament” is a more formal or literary synonym with an emphasis on a particular medicinal preparation.
“Medication” commonly refers to a drug or treatment prescribed for a medical condition, whereas “medicament” is a more formal or literary term for a medicinal substance.