opiate

1 of 2

noun

opi·​ate ˈō-pē-ət How to pronounce opiate (audio) -ˌāt How to pronounce opiate (audio)
plural opiates
1
a
: an alkaloid drug (such as morphine or codeine) that contains or is derived from opium, binds to cell receptors primarily of the central nervous system and gastrointestinal tract, acts to block pain, induce sedation or sleep, depress respiration, and produce calmness or euphoria, and is associated with physiological tolerance (see tolerance sense 4a(1)), physical and psychological dependence, and addiction upon repeated or prolonged use
b
: a synthetic or semisynthetic drug (such as fentanyl or methadone) or an endogenous substance (such as beta-endorphin) that binds to opiate cell receptors and produces physiological effects like those of opium derivatives: opioid sense 1
… fentanyl, a synthetic opiate that is 90-100 times more potent than morphine.The Economist
Current peptide research has uncovered at least two groups of endogenous opiates in the CNS that modulate the perception of pain.Nicholas T. Zervas

Note: The use of opiate for substances that bind to opiate receptors but are not opium derivatives is often considered technically incorrect. Such substances are more commonly referred to as opioids. The word opioid itself was originally used only for these substances, but it has now become widely accepted as a broader term encompassing any substance—natural, synthetic, opium-derived or not—that binds to opiate receptors and has morphine-like activity.

2
: something likened to a drug that induces rest or inaction or quiets uneasiness
Operatic music is an opiate that lowers our critical guard and allows us to entertain views that our good liberal selves would disavow were they presented in naked prose.Paul Robinson
… the novel's real drug is the opiate of nostalgia. Richard, narrating the events at a distance of ten years, is still too in love with the friends to look at them with an even faintly critical eye.Ruth Franklin

opiate

2 of 2

adjective

1
a
: containing or mixed with opium
b
: of, relating to, binding, or being an opiate
opiate receptors
2
a
: inducing sleep : narcotic
b
: causing dullness or inaction

Examples of opiate in a Sentence

Noun Many see television as an opiate of the masses. a cultural critic who argues that the Internet has now joined television as an opiate of the American people Adjective morphine is an opiate drug
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Programmatic advertising is the opiate of the marketing masses. Toby Shapshak, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 Until then, the people who were defending opiates had control of the narrative for the longest time. Arun A.k., Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 2024 According to police, blood tests performed at Eden Medical Center turned up evidence Santos had used amphetamines, opiates, cannabis and ecstasy. Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 12 Jan. 2024 In the latest apparent attack on election officials around the country, Yuba County’s elections office in Sacramento received a letter Wednesday morning apparently laced with fentanyl, the deadly synthetic opiate. Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2024 Police officers couldn’t save Diamond Lynch, who overdosed in her Washington, D.C., apartment after taking a pill laced with the powerful and dangerous chemical opiate. Ken Dilanian, NBC News, 28 Nov. 2023 The pills were made to look like Percocet and other pharmaceutical opiates. Ken Dilanian, NBC News, 28 Nov. 2023 One year later, this percentage had only increased to approximately 14 percent, while testing for opiates (natural opioids like heroin) remained at about 50 percent. Eric D. Wish, Scientific American, 15 Nov. 2023 Two North Carolina parents were charged with child abuse after their 22-month-old nearly overdosed on opiates, the Stanly County Sheriff’s Office announced. Liam Quinn, Peoplemag, 30 Oct. 2023
Adjective
Defense lawyer blasts government Defense attorney Sanford Plotkin blasted the government in his sentencing memo, maintaining his client was being punished far more severely than the executive who allegedly used a learning-disabled man to feed his opiate addiction. Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, 6 Mar. 2024 Combined with disputes over human rights, trade and opiate production, the list of problem areas is daunting. Matthew Lee, Fortune, 19 June 2023 Men and women on the streets, subways, and elsewhere, in an opiate haze. Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 8 Dec. 2023 But after the 2016 death of her mother, who spent half her life in Margate, Emin has poured a great deal of passion into transforming her hometown of about 63,000, a former summer resort that for decades has been riven with poverty and opiate abuse, into a locus for artists. Nancy Hass, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2023 And naltrexone suppresses the opioid system, which can reduce cravings in both alcoholics and opiate users. Matt Hrodey, Discover Magazine, 19 June 2023 One consequence of the injuries his son suffered in the accident, Dr. Zuerlein said, was an addiction to opiate painkillers that led to a number of stints in rehabilitation centers and culminated with his 2019 indictment. Dale Ellis, Arkansas Online, 18 July 2023 When Marie was at Lexington in the 40s, opiate users were mostly white men. Carol Sutton Lewis, Scientific American, 6 Apr. 2023 Combined with other disputes over human rights, trade and opiate production, the list of problem areas is daunting. Matthew Lee, Fortune, 20 June 2023

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

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, borrowed from Middle French & Medieval Latin; Middle French, borrowed from Medieval Latin opiātum, from Latin opium opium + -ātum -ate entry 1

Adjective

borrowed from Medieval Latin opiātus "soporific," from Latin opium opium + -ātus -ate entry 3

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1543, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of opiate was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near opiate

Cite this Entry

“Opiate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opiate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

opiate

1 of 2 noun
opi·​ate ˈō-pē-ət How to pronounce opiate (audio)
-ˌāt
1
: a drug (as morphine or codeine) that contains or is made from opium, tends to cause sleep and relieve pain, and causes physical and psychological dependence and addiction upon repeated or prolonged use
broadly : opioid
2
: something restful or soothing
the opiate of sleep

opiate

2 of 2 adjective
1
a
: containing or mixed with opium
b
: of, relating to, or being an opiate
2
a
: causing sleep
b
: causing dullness or idleness

Medical Definition

opiate

1 of 2 noun
opi·​ate ˈō-pē-ət How to pronounce opiate (audio) -ˌāt How to pronounce opiate (audio)
1
: an alkaloid drug (as morphine or codeine) that contains or is derived from opium, binds to cell receptors primarily of the central nervous system and gastrointestinal tract, acts to block pain, induce sedation or sleep, depress respiration, and produce calmness or euphoria, and is associated with physiological tolerance (see tolerance sense 1), physical and psychological dependence, and addiction upon repeated or prolonged use
2
: a synthetic or semisynthetic drug (as fentanyl or methadone) or an endogenous substance (as beta-endorphin) that binds to opiate cell receptors and produces physiological effects like those of opium derivatives: opioid
… fentanyl, a synthetic opiate that is 90-100 times more potent than morphine.The Economist
Current peptide research has uncovered at least two groups of endogenous opiates in the CNS that modulate the perception of pain.Nicholas T. Zervas

Note: The use of opiate for substances that bind to opiate receptors but are not opium derivatives is often considered technically incorrect. Such substances are more commonly referred to as opioids. The word opioid itself was originally used only for these substances, but it has now become widely accepted as a broader term encompassing any substance—natural, synthetic, opium-derived or not—that binds to opiate receptors and has morphine-like activity.

opiate

2 of 2 adjective
1
: of, relating to, or being opium or an opium derivative
2
: of, relating to, binding, or being an opiate
opiate receptors

More from Merriam-Webster on opiate

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