medicinal

adjective

me·​dic·​i·​nal
mə-ˈdis-nəl, 
-ˈdi-sᵊn-əl How to pronounce medicinal (audio)
in Shakespeare & Milton ˌme-di-ˈsī-nᵊl
& ˈmed-sə-nəl
Synonyms of medicinalnext
1
: tending or used to cure disease or relieve pain
a medicinal compound
the plant's medicinal properties
used for medicinal purposes
2
: salutary
… a medicinal phrase that he would repeat … in all moments of adversity …—W. B. Yeats
medicinal noun
medicinally
mə-ˈdis-nə-lē How to pronounce medicinal (audio)
-ˈdi-sᵊn-ə-lē;
adverb

Synonyms of medicinal

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of medicinal in a Sentence

This drug is to be used only for medicinal purposes. even in Roman times the hot mineral springs of Bath, England, were believed to possess medicinal properties
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Wine that has gone bad may have a medicinal or vinegar-like smell and may taste sharp or sour. — Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 25 June 2026 One common medicinal use is as an insecticide on the head and the feet. — Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 June 2026 The mushroom is part of a broader family of medicinal fungi long used in human and veterinary practice. — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 25 June 2026 During Prohibition, Old Forester was one of just a handful of brands that were given licenses to produce medicinal whiskey. — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 10 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for medicinal

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of medicinal was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing medicinal

Rhymes for medicinal

See All Rhymes for medicinal

Browse Nearby Words

medicinable
medicinal
medicinal leech
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Medicinal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/medicinal. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

medicinal

adjective
me·​dic·​i·​nal mə-ˈdis-nəl How to pronounce medicinal (audio)
-ᵊn-əl
: tending or used to cure disease or relieve pain
medicinally
-ē
adverb

Medical Definition

medicinal

1 of 2 adjective
me·​dic·​i·​nal mə-ˈdis-nəl, -ᵊn-əl How to pronounce medicinal (audio)
: of, relating to, or being medicine : tending or used to cure disease or relieve pain
medicinally
-ē How to pronounce medicinal (audio)
adverb

medicinal

2 of 2 noun
: a medicinal substance : medicine

More from Merriam-Webster on medicinal

Nglish: Translation of medicinal for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All