Etymologically
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medication

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 13:52. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /mɛdɪˈkeɪʃən/[1]

Etymology

It is Middle English medicacioun, borrowed from Old French medication and directly borrowed from Latin medicatio (“healing, cure”),[2][3][4] from the past participle stem of medicārī (“to heal, cure”), from medicus (“physician; healing”),[2] from PIE Proto-Indo-European *med- (“to take appropriate measures”).[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Medical treatment of a disease or wound: the early 15th century in Etymonline, late Middle English in SOED, 1603 in the OED.[2][4][5]

Semantic evolution

Treatment of plants, and something used for medication, is from 1626.[5] Johnson (1755) defined it as impregnating with medicinal ingredients.[5][6] A medicinal substance or drug is by 1942 in Etymonline and 1934 in the OED.[2][5]

Timeline

  • early 15th century – medical treatment.[2]
  • 1626 – a remedy.[5]
  • 1755 – Johnson's definition.[5]
  • 1934 – a drug.[5]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A substance used for medical treatment, especially a drug.
  2. Treatment with drugs.

Word family

  • hypermedication
  • overmedication
  • self-medication

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ a b Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ Johnson, Samuel (1755), A Dictionary of the English Language, London; 4th ed. 1773; Johnson's Dictionary Online, ed. Beth Rapp Young et al.