antiviral

1 of 2

adjective

an·​ti·​vi·​ral ˌan-tē-ˈvī-rəl How to pronounce antiviral (audio)
ˌan-tī-
1
medical : acting, effective, or directed against viruses
an antiviral vaccine/drug
2
: used to protect a computer from viruses : antivirus
antiviral software

antiviral

2 of 2

noun

: an antiviral agent and especially a drug
antivirals used in treating influenza

Examples of antiviral in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
There are a variety of genital and oral herpes treatments that can help prevent outbreaks, alleviate symptoms, and lower the risk of transmission, including antiviral medication like valacyclovir and acyclovir, acyclovir cream for cold sores, lidocaine pain cream, Cover Up! Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 5 Mar. 2024 There is no specific antiviral therapy for the infection, which is part of why officials focused on a mass vaccination campaign instead. Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2024 Some experts think that antiviral use may be making a dent as well, by decreasing the proportion of COVID cases that progress to severe disease, a risk factor for certain types of long COVID. Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 18 Jan. 2024 The scientists issued nine recommendations in their report on the death, including keeping lesions covered, maintaining hygiene practices and possibly prescribing antiviral drugs to patients with the virus who have compromised immune systems. Robert Hart, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024 Some tips to try out at home include: Your doctor can provide antiviral drugs to help your child's system kick the flu. USA TODAY, 3 Feb. 2024 There is no specific antiviral treatment, and medical care is mainly supportive: staying home from school or work to rest and drink plenty of fluids. Amanda Musa, CNN, 23 Jan. 2024 There is mixed evidence for the effectiveness of the antiviral drug Paxlovid in preventing long COVID. Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 18 Jan. 2024 Americans not accessing treatments COVID-19 treatments have evolved since the early days of the pandemic with antiviral pills available, particularly Paxlovid from Pfizer. Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 10 Jan. 2024
Noun
Monitoring a herpes infection and taking antivirals during pregnancy can help prevent the spread of herpes to your baby.7 Use the appropriate protection during outbreaks. Jennifer Sabour, Health, 9 Mar. 2024 His center contracted with CDPH and federal authorities to reach Latinos, employing mobile units to test, vaccinate and eventually provide antivirals to workers around the Sacramento Valley. Cathie Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 29 Feb. 2024 People who test positive for COVID-19 may be treated with the antivirals Paxlovid or Molnupiravir, but treatment must begin within five days of symptom onset for best results, providers say. Stephanie Innes, The Arizona Republic, 6 Jan. 2024 An antiviral doesn’t exist, experts say, though medical providers may choose to administer oral Vitamin A to patients, in a bid to improve outcomes. Erin Prater, Fortune Well, 27 Jan. 2024 But as officials note, that’s exactly what antivirals are for. Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2024 For instance, antivirals like Paxlovid and Lagevrio can treat certain COVID cases, while a different antiviral called Tamiflu treats the flu. Korin Miller, Verywell Health, 5 Jan. 2024 But one antiviral appears to be backfiring—allowing SARS-CoV-2 more opportunities to mutate. Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 26 Sep. 2023 Antimicrobials are medicines used to prevent and treat infectious diseases and include antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals and antiparasitics. Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 7 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'antiviral.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1929, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1959, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of antiviral was in 1929

Dictionary Entries Near antiviral

Cite this Entry

“Antiviral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antiviral. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

antiviral

1 of 2 adjective
an·​ti·​vi·​ral -ˈvi-rəl How to pronounce antiviral (audio)
variants also antivirus
: acting, effective, or directed against viruses
antiviral drugs

antiviral

2 of 2 noun
: an antiviral agent and especially a drug
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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