antiretroviral

adjective

an·​ti·​re·​tro·​vi·​ral ˌan-tē-ˈre-trō-ˌvī-rəl How to pronounce antiretroviral (audio)
ˌan-tī-
: acting, used, or effective against retroviruses
antiretroviral drugs
antiretroviral therapy
antiretroviral noun

Examples of antiretroviral in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But antiretroviral therapy coverage among pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV has plateaued. Jennifer Lotito, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 Medical records show that Overfield was not administered his HIV antiretroviral medications while in jail. Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2024 However, current antiretroviral treatments can control virus loads and prevent complications from the infection. Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 10 July 2023 By the end of that year, the panel was monitoring 132 ongoing research projects, including studies on whether cannabis use affects antiretroviral therapy and how psilocybin helps people suffering from phantom limb pain. Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 19 Jan. 2024 Caregivers of children on antiretroviral therapy often struggle to prepare and administer the drugs effectively. Abdullahi Tsanni, STAT, 5 July 2023 Pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, in which people at risk of HIV take antiretroviral medications in advance of potential exposure to the virus, is highly effective at preventing infection but remains vastly underutilized in the U.S. and around the world. Benjamin Ryan, NBC News, 18 Jan. 2023 This means that people with HIV are susceptible to COVID infection especially those who are not on antiretroviral therapy (ART). Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2023 The program works with the United Nations, national governments, and community organizations to provide antiretroviral drugs, train medical workers, and build health-care networks in more than fifty countries where H.I.V. remains a significant challenge. Peter Slevin, The New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'antiretroviral.' 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

1979, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of antiretroviral was in 1979

Dictionary Entries Near antiretroviral

Cite this Entry

“Antiretroviral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antiretroviral. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.

Medical Definition

antiretroviral

1 of 2 adjective
an·​ti·​ret·​ro·​vi·​ral -ˈre-trō-ˌvī-rəl How to pronounce antiretroviral (audio)
variants also anti-retroviral
: acting, used, or effective against retroviruses
All four drugs, which inhibit HIV protease and thus interfere with viral maturation and replication, are the most potent antiretroviral agents available to treat patients with HIV disease.The Journal of the American Medical Association
antiretroviral therapy
see highly active antiretroviral therapy

antiretroviral

2 of 2 noun
variants also anti-retroviral
: an agent effective against retroviruses
Current anti-HIV drugs, or antiretrovirals, bind to specific HIV enzymes and impede their activity.Douglas D. Richman, Scientific American
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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