1 medicate | Definition of medicate

medicate

verb
med·​i·​cate | \ ˈme-di-ˌkāt How to pronounce medicate (audio) \
medicated; medicating

Definition of medicate

transitive verb

1 : to treat (someone or something) with or as if with medicine medicate a condition was medicated for pain/depression … is happily living his life one day at a time since he stopped drinking and otherwise medicating himself …— Charles Leerhsen
2 : to impregnate with a medicinal substance medicated soap

Examples of medicate in a Sentence

The patient had been heavily medicated.

Recent Examples on the Web

Durham later told reporters that Haskell is medicated and sedated. Washington Post, "Prosecutor: Man accused of killing 6 ‘fueled by vengeance’," 26 Aug. 2019 In March, Belinda Stronach announced in an open letter sweeping changes in the way horses would be medicated and examined at Santa Anita. Tod Leonard, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Del Mar set to open as scrutiny of racing intensifies," 15 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'medicate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of medicate

circa 1623, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for medicate

Latin medicatus, past participle of medicare to heal, from medicus

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More Definitions for medicate

medicate

verb

English Language Learners Definition of medicate

: to treat (a person or disease) with medicine and especially with drugs

medicate

verb
med·​i·​cate | \ ˈme-də-ˌkāt How to pronounce medicate (audio) \
medicated; medicating

Kids Definition of medicate

1 : to treat with medicine You should medicate your sore throat.
2 : to add medicinal material to medicated soap

medicate

transitive verb
med·​i·​cate | \ ˈmed-ə-ˌkāt How to pronounce medicate (audio) \
medicated; medicating

Medical Definition of medicate

1 : to treat medicinally
2 : to impregnate with a medicinal substance medicated soap

More from Merriam-Webster on medicate

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with medicate

Spanish Central: Translation of medicate

Nglish: Translation of medicate for Spanish Speakers

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