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noun B2 Upper-Intermediate Common

medication

meh-dih-KAY-shuhn

Medication (noun) means a drug or medicine used to treat an illness. Example: “She takes medication for her thyroid condition every morning.”

noun
1
A drug or medicine used to treat an illness.
"She takes medication for her thyroid condition every morning."
"The doctor adjusted his medication after the side effects appeared."

How to Use Medication

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe medicine itself, or the act of giving medicine to treat a health problem.

Common pairings
take medication prescribe medication medication dosage

Word Forms

medications plural

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Test yourself on “medication” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage

Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

She takes _____ for her thyroid condition every morning.

Etymology

From Latin medicātiō, from medicārī ("to heal, cure"), from medicus ("physician").

Origin: Latin

Related Words

Rhymes for medication

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does “medication” mean?

The word “medication” means a drug or medicine used to treat an illness. In plain terms, the medicine itself, or the act of giving medicine to treat a health problem.

How do you pronounce “medication”?

“Medication” is pronounced meh-dih-KAY-shuhn (/mɛdɪˈkeɪʃən/ in IPA).

How do you use “medication” in a sentence?

Here is “medication” used in a sentence: “She takes medication for her thyroid condition every morning.”

What part of speech is “medication”?

“Medication” is a noun.

Where does the word “medication” come from?

The word “medication” comes from Latin. From Latin medicātiō, from medicārī ("to heal, cure"), from medicus ("physician").

Is “medication” a common word?

“Medication” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

What is the difference between medication and medicine?

The words overlap, but "medicine" can mean both the substance used to treat illness and the science of healing, while "medication" refers specifically to a drug or medicine used to treat an illness. For the substance itself, the two are often interchangeable in everyday use.

What is the difference between medication and a drug?

All medications are drugs, but "drug" is broader and can also refer to recreational or illegal substances. "Medication" specifically means a drug or medicine used to treat an illness, giving it a clearly medical sense.

What words commonly go with "medication"?

"Medication" often appears in phrases such as take medication, prescribe medication, be on medication, and the side effects of medication. These collocations all relate to using drugs to treat illness.

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