adjective

curative

KYOOR-uh-tiv

Curative (adjective) means Able to cure a disease or heal an injury, rather than merely relieve its symptoms. Example: “Surgery is still the only curative treatment for early-stage disease.”

adjective

Able to cure a disease or heal an injury, rather than merely relieve its symptoms.

"Surgery is still the only curative treatment for early-stage disease."

"The spring water was long believed to have curative properties."

Having a generally restorative or corrective effect on something troubled.

"A fortnight by the sea had a curative effect on his mood."

noun

A medicine or treatment that cures something.

"Sunlight was once prescribed as a curative for almost anything."

How to use curative

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishAble to actually cure something, not just ease it.

When to use it

Neutral to formal. Standard in medical writing; the noun sense sounds old-fashioned in general use.

Memory tip

In oncology, 'with curative intent' is a fixed phrase meaning the treatment is aiming for a cure rather than control.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

palliative → preventive → therapeutic → cure-all

Common pairings

curative treatment curative intent curative properties curative surgery

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

Surgery is still the only _____ treatment for early-stage disease.

Etymology

From Medieval Latin curativus, from Latin curare 'to care for, to attend to, to heal', from cura 'care'.

Origin: Latin

Synonyms

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healing remedial restorative therapeutic cure remedy antidote medicine tonic corrective

Antonyms

palliative preventive harmful

Related words

medical treatment drug solution pop dangerous evil medicine

Rhymes for curative

five give dive live olive drive alive strive derive active arrive native

See all rhymes for curative →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between curative and palliative?

Curative treatment aims to eliminate the disease itself, while palliative treatment aims to relieve symptoms and improve comfort without expecting to cure. A patient may move from curative to palliative care when the disease no longer responds to treatment.

What is the difference between curative and preventive?

Preventive measures stop an illness from occurring in the first place, such as a vaccine, whereas curative measures act on an illness that is already present. Public health typically distinguishes preventive, curative and rehabilitative services.

Can a treatment be curative and therapeutic at the same time?

Yes. Therapeutic is the broader word covering anything intended to treat, including symptom relief, while curative specifically claims the disease will be eliminated. Every curative treatment is therapeutic, but not the reverse.

What is the meaning of curative?

"curative" (adjective) means able to cure a disease or heal an injury, rather than merely relieve its symptoms.

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