What does "narcotics" mean?

1. (illegal drugs) illegal drugs that people use to change how they feel, which are often addictive. 2. (relating to illegal drugs) relating to illegal drugs or the police departments that deal with them.

How do you use "narcotics"?

Usually used in the plural form when referring to the drugs themselves. Often used as an attributive adjective before nouns like 'officer', 'unit', or 'trafficking'.

narcotics

n. · adj.

US //nɑɹˈkɑtɪks// UK //nɑːkˈɒtɪks// nar·cotics

1 illegal drugs (n.)
C1 Advanced Formal Technical Law

illegal drugs that people use to change how they feel, which are often addictive.

illegal drugs, specifically those that affect the central nervous system; in a strict legal sense, it refers to opioids, though it is often used for any illicit drug.

Example

The police arrested the man for selling narcotics near the park.

Example

The international task force was established to disrupt the flow of narcotics across the border and dismantle the associated criminal networks.

Usage

Usually used in the plural form when referring to the drugs themselves.

Teacher's tip

In everyday conversation, people usually just say 'drugs'. 'Narcotics' is the word you will hear on the news, in police reports, or in legal documents.
- drugs
- controlled substances
- opiates
2 relating to illegal drugs (adj.)
C1 Advanced Formal Technical Law

relating to illegal drugs or the police departments that deal with them.

pertaining to illicit psychoactive substances or the legal and enforcement frameworks surrounding them.

Example

He works for the narcotics division of the city police.

Example

The detective spent three years working undercover for the narcotics unit before returning to a standard patrol role.

Usage

Often used as an attributive adjective before nouns like 'officer', 'unit', or 'trafficking'.
- drug related

Origin

From narcotic + -s.

Word family

Nounnarcotic
Nounnarcotics