English Reference
noun

medication

n.
US /ˌmɛdəˈkeɪʃən/ UK /mˌɛdɪkˈeɪʃən/ med·i·ca·tion UK spelling medications

  1. 01 B1 Intermediate Medicine

    a pill, liquid, or other substance you take to treat an illness.

    a medicinal substance used to treat or prevent disease; often used as a collective term for a patient's prescribed drugs.

    Simple

    The doctor told her to take her medication every morning with breakfast.

    In context

    The patient reported a significant reduction in symptoms after the specialist adjusted the dosage of his blood pressure medication.

    Usage

    Commonly used with the verbs 'take', 'prescribe', or 'administer'.

    Pitfall
    He is taking a lot of medications. He is taking a lot of medication.

    While 'medications' is used for different types of drugs, 'medication' is often uncountable when referring to the general treatment a person receives.

  2. 02 C1 Advanced TechnicalFormal Medicine

    the act of giving medicine to a patient.

    the process or act of administering medicinal substances to a patient.

    Simple

    The nurse is responsible for the medication of all patients in this ward.

    In context

    Standard hospital protocols require two practitioners to verify the medication of high-risk intravenous fluids to ensure patient safety.

    Usage

    Often appears in the phrase 'the medication of [someone]'.

Famotidine is an H2 blocker medication ; Pepcid is one of the most common brands.

The Guardian· 14 Aug 2026

Her medication makes it harder for her to regulate her body temperature, she says.

BBC News· 12 Aug 2026

From Middle English medicacioun, from Middle French médication and its etymon Latin medicātiō, from medicārī (“to heal, cure”), from medicus (“a physician, surgeon”), from medērī (“to heal”). Equivalent to medicate + -ion.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Latin medicātiō
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Common
Updated