What does medication mean?
Medication is a substance used to treat, prevent, or control a disease, symptom, or medical condition. The word most often refers to a particular drug prescribed or recommended to a patient, but it can also include other medicinal preparations. In clinical settings, the term covers the substance itself as well as the treatment involved in taking it. Medication is usually part of a broader treatment plan and may be discussed alongside dosage, side effects, interactions, and adherence. Unlike the broader word medicine, medication often carries the implication of an individually prescribed or professionally recommended product. Learning the word can therefore be useful in both everyday conversations about health and more formal medical contexts, where precision about what a person is taking is important.
nounA drug or other substance used to treat, prevent, or control a disease or medical condition. In common use, the word often refers to a medicine prescribed or recommended by a healthcare professional.
- A drug or other substance used to treat, prevent, or control a disease or medical condition, especially when prescribed or recommended for an individual patient.
"Her medication helped control the symptoms of the chronic condition."
"The doctor changed the medication after reviewing her test results."
"The medicine cabinet contains several common medications, along with instructions and safety information."
The plural is standard when referring to several medicines or to the different medicines taken by a person.
"The pharmacist reviewed all of her medications with her."
Medication comes from Latin medicamentum, meaning a remedy or medicine, and ultimately from the same root as “heal.”
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does medication come from?
Medication entered English in the Middle English period, ultimately through Old French from Latin medicamentum, a word meaning “remedy” or “medicine.” The Latin term was associated with medicus, “physician,” and ultimately with mederi, “to heal.” Modern cognates such as medical, medicinal, medicine, and medic preserve the same broad connection with physicians, treatment, and healing.
Related word forms
How medication is actually used
In everyday English, medication often has a clinical or healthcare context and may suggest a prescribed substance, although it is also used for over-the-counter products. It is generally countable when referring to particular medicines.
Easily confused with medication
Medicine is the broader term for substances or preparations used to treat disease, while medication more often suggests a specific drug or preparation used by an individual patient.