polypharmacy

noun

poly·​phar·​ma·​cy ˌpä-li-ˈfär-mə-sē How to pronounce polypharmacy (audio)
: the practice of administering many different medicines especially concurrently for the treatment of a single disease
also : the concurrent use of multiple medications by a patient to treat usually coexisting conditions and which may result in adverse drug interactions

Examples of polypharmacy in a Sentence

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Interest in deprescribing has grown along with the wider phenomenon of polypharmacy, the term for taking multiple medications, in these cases to manage blood pressure, heart failure, obesity, or diabetes in addition to cholesterol. — Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, 11 Aug. 2026 The largest group consisted of older adults taking five or more prescription drugs (polypharmacy). — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026 In a new study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, Yale researchers sought to understand if polypharmacy—when patients take five or more drugs regularly—can be attributed to obesity in individuals aged 65 and older. — Amy Anderson, Hartford Courant, 26 June 2026 And that spending reflects not just more illness, but more layers — multiple chronic conditions, polypharmacy, cognitive decline and the growing need for daily support. — John Samuels, Forbes.com, 13 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for polypharmacy

Word History

First Known Use

1762, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of polypharmacy was in 1762

Rhymes for polypharmacy

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Browse Nearby Words

polypharmacon
polypharmacy
polypharyngeal
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Cite this Entry

“Polypharmacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polypharmacy. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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Medical Definition

polypharmacy

noun
poly·​phar·​ma·​cy -ˈfär-mə-sē How to pronounce polypharmacy (audio)
plural polypharmacies
: the practice of administering many different medicines especially concurrently for the treatment of the same disease
also : the concurrent use of multiple medications by a patient to treat usually coexisting conditions and which may result in adverse drug interactions
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