ranitidine

noun

ra·​nit·​i·​dine ra-ˈni-tə-ˌdēn How to pronounce ranitidine (audio)
: a histamine blocker C13H22N4O3S that is administered in the form of its hydrochloride to inhibit gastric acid secretion

Examples of ranitidine in a Sentence

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.
The agency cited concerns that ranitidine could degrade into NDMA, a carcinogen, over time or when exposed to heat. — Reuters, CNN, 9 Oct. 2024 The human studies didn’t show a consistent statistically significant and valid association between ranitidine use and cancer, let alone causation. — Glenn G. Lammi, Forbes, 4 Sep. 2024 Then lawyers brought a slew of lawsuits against GSK and Sanofi, pharmaceutical companies that have sold the popular ranitidine drug Zantac, linking it to clients’ cancers. — Jamie Ducharme, TIME, 9 May 2024 Sucralfates Histamine receptor antagonist (H2RAs) such as cimetidine and ranitidine. — Emmanuella Ogbonna, Health, 23 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ranitidine

Word History

Etymology

probably from ranit- (blend of furan and nitr-) + -idine (as in cimetidine)

First Known Use

1979, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ranitidine was in 1979

Rhymes for ranitidine

See All Rhymes for ranitidine

Browse Nearby Words

Raninidae
ranitidine
Ranjit Singh
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

Copy Citation

Medical Definition

ranitidine

noun
ra·​nit·​i·​dine ra-ˈnit-ə-ˌdēn How to pronounce ranitidine (audio)
: an antihistamine that is administered in the form of its hydrochloride C13H22N4O3S·HCl to inhibit gastric acid secretion (as in the treatment of duodenal ulcers or Zollinger-Ellison syndrome) see zantac

More from Merriam-Webster on ranitidine

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ranitidine

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