# medicinal

/məˈdɪsənəɫ/ (US) · /mˈɛdɪsˌɪnəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/medicinal
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. healing or therapeutic

adjective · CEFR B2

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

For teachers: possessing therapeutic properties or used in the treatment of disease and relief of pain.

- Many people believe that ginger has medicinal properties that help with a cold.
- The indigenous community has long used the bark of this tree for its medicinal qualities, particularly in treating chronic inflammation and digestive issues.

### 3. a healing plant

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a plant that people use to make medicine.

For teachers: any botanical specimen or plant species cultivated or harvested for its therapeutic chemical constituents.

- The garden was full of various medicinals used in traditional healing.
- The researcher spent years documenting the various medicinals found deep within the rainforest, many of which were unknown to Western pharmacology.

## Examples

- This tea has strong medicinal properties.
- The doctor prescribed a cream with medicinal ingredients to reduce the redness on her skin.
- Ancient civilizations relied on the medicinal properties of local flora to treat everything from minor cuts to severe fevers.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.