English Reference
adjective · noun

medicinal

adj. · n.
US /məˈdɪsənəɫ/ UK /mˈɛdɪsˌɪnəl/ medic·i·nal

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate Medicine

    adj.having the power to treat an illness or make you feel better.

    adj.possessing therapeutic properties or used in the treatment of disease and relief of pain.

    Simple

    Many people believe that ginger has medicinal properties that help with a cold.

    In context

    The indigenous community has long used the bark of this tree for its medicinal qualities, particularly in treating chronic inflammation and digestive issues.

    Pitfall
    He is a medicinal student. He is a medical student.

    Use 'medical' for things related to the profession or study of medicine, and 'medicinal' for substances that heal.

  2. 02 C2 Proficiency Technical Science

    n.a plant that people use to make medicine.

    n.any botanical specimen or plant species cultivated or harvested for its therapeutic chemical constituents.

    Simple

    The garden was full of various medicinals used in traditional healing.

    In context

    The researcher spent years documenting the various medicinals found deep within the rainforest, many of which were unknown to Western pharmacology.

Usage medicinal properties

Common uses include lotions, medicinal creams, sauces, ice cream, mayonnaise and paints.

Phys.org· 3 Sept 2026

These Europeans did not similarly preserve the knowledge held by Caribbean communities about the plant’s medicinal uses.

JSTOR Daily· 29 Jul 2026

From Latin medicīnālis. By surface analysis, medicine + -al.

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

This entry
Origin Latin medicīnālis
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated