ENGLISH
REFERENCE

medications

n. C / U
B1 Intermediate US //ˌmɛdəˈkeɪʃənz// UK //mˌɛdɪkˈeɪʃənz// med·i·ca·tions

n. pills, liquids, or other substances you take to treat an illness or stay healthy. Doctors usually give you a prescription for these.

n. substances used for medical treatment, especially those prescribed by a doctor to cure or manage a condition. Often used in the plural to refer to a patient's overall drug regimen.


SIMPLE

He takes his medications every morning with breakfast.

CONTEXTUAL

The nurse asked the patient to list all current medications to check for potential drug interactions.

COMPLEX

Managing chronic conditions often requires a delicate balance of multiple medications, each carefully timed to maximize efficacy while minimizing adverse side effects.

Synonyms
Usage

Uncountable when referring to the general practice of medicating; countable when referring to specific types or instances of drugs.

Pitfall

the doctor gave me a medicationthe doctor gave me some medicationIn general contexts, 'medication' is often treated as uncountable; use 'some medication' or 'a type of medication' instead of 'a medication'.

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