therapeutic
adjective
ther·a·peu·tic
| \ ˌther-ə-ˈpyü-tik
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Definition of therapeutic
1
: of or relating to the treatment of disease or disorders by remedial agents or methods : curative, medicinal
therapeutic diets They confirmed the therapeutic effect of supplemental light in treating winter depression with phototherapy.— Richard Wurtman and Judith Wurtman A just-right amount is the therapeutic dose, just enough to provide the intended effect without problems.— Paul G. Donohue
2
: having a beneficial effect on the body or mind
Warm lotion manicures … are a luxurious, therapeutic treat … — Elle … they painted, hoed, swept, and planted when the mood for therapeutic work struck them, and lolled on the beach when they felt like it.— David Guterson
3
: producing a useful or favorable result or effect
In classical economics, before the illusion of fine-tuning became widespread, recessions were regarded as therapeutic.— Geoffrey Smith and Jane Sasseen
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Other Words from therapeutic
therapeutic
noun
therapeutically
\ ˌther-ə-ˈpyü-ti-k(ə-)lē
\
adverb
\
adverb
Synonyms for therapeutic
Synonyms
curative, healing, medicinal, officinal, remedial, restorative
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Examples of therapeutic in a Sentence
the therapeutic benefits of yoga
Gardening can be very therapeutic.
the therapeutic effects of radiation
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Recent Examples on the Web
But when tensions are high and the public is scared a recession is around the corner, a little theater can be therapeutic. — Allison Schrager, Quartz, "The Fed finally cut rates. Will anyone notice?," 31 July 2019 Salt exposure as a therapeutic treatment developed after 1843, when Polish physician Feliks Boczowski noticed that his patients, who worked in salt mines, had no respiratory or lung problems compared to other miners. — Sarah Watts, NBC News, "Does salt therapy actually work? I tried it to help ease my summer allergies," 23 July 2019 Larry Nassar, the former Michigan State University and U.S. Olympic team doctor, used a similar guise of therapeutic treatment to molest young athletes, all while gaining their trust and that of their parents. — Colleen Shalby, latimes.com, "Youth basketball coach sentenced to 9 years after sex acts with teens he trained," 3 July 2019 If patients come early, there are therapeutic treatments that give them a chance. — David Mckenzie, CNN, "Fighting Ebola is hard but in the Congo mistrust and fear is making it harder," 22 June 2019 There is an entourage effect in cannabis where the different cannabinoids, flavonoids, terpenes and other compounds play off and increase each other’s therapeutic effects and values. — Mary Schumacher, chicagotribune.com, "Cannabis, Alzheimer’s and hope are on the horizon," 2 Aug. 2019 Writing and sharing individual experiences has a positive, therapeutic effect in a group with others who have traveled the tumultuous terrain of loving an addicted person. — courant.com, "Community News For The Farmington Valley Edition," 29 July 2019 AstraZeneca is sending antibodies to space to study their therapeutic effects to treat cancer and immune diseases. — Robin Goist, cleveland.com, "Goodyear sends tire research to International Space Station," 19 July 2019 That aspect seems to be essential to its efficacy: several studies have shown that the more profoundly mystical the experience, the greater the therapeutic effect. — The Economist, "Magic mushrooms, illegal in most places, may have therapeutic uses," 7 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'therapeutic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for therapeutic
therapeutic
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of therapeutic
: producing good effects on your body or mind
: of or relating to the treatment of illness
See the full definition for therapeutic in the English Language Learners Dictionary
therapeutic
adjective
ther·a·peu·tic
| \ ˌther-ə-ˈpyü-tik
\
\
Kids Definition of therapeutic
therapeutic
adjective
ther·a·peu·tic
| \ -ˈpyüt-ik
\
\
Medical Definition of therapeutic
1
: of, relating to, or used in the treatment of disease or disorders by remedial agents or methods : curative, medicinal
… the dose was increased to 8 mg per day, which is the higher end of the therapeutic dosage range.— Hasan B. Alam et al., The New England Journal of Medicine, 8 Oct. 2009 Conscious sedation is used increasingly in diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, ranging from gastrointestinal endoscopy to minor surgery in patients who are relaxed, but responsive. — The Journal of the American Medical Association, 22 Sept. 1993 They confirmed the therapeutic effect of supplemental light in treating winter depression with phototherapy.— Richard Wurtman and Judith Wurtman, Scientific American, January 1989
2
: having a beneficial effect on the body or mind
California psychotherapist Annette Goodheart believes not only that laughter can be therapeutic but also that therapy needs to include laughter.— Jeff Wagenheim, New Age Journal, Winter 1993
Other Words from therapeutic
therapeutically
\ -i-k(ə-)lē
\
adverb
\
adverb
a therapeutically effective regimen
therapeutically equivalent drugs
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