acetylsalicylic acid
noun
ace·tyl·sal·i·cyl·ic acid
ə-ˈsē-tᵊl-ˌsa-lə-ˌsi-lik- 
: a white crystalline derivative C9H8O4 of salicylic acid used for relief of pain and fever : aspirin sense 1
Aspirin is acetylsalicylic acid and is based on salicylic acid, which was originally extracted from willow bark.—
Berkeley Wellness Letter
Berkeley Wellness LetterEpisodes are often precipitated by the ingestion of alcohol and chocolate and do not occur after exercise or the use of acetylsalicylic acid as in this patient.—Mandakolathur R. Murali et al.
Mandakolathur R. Murali et al.Examples of acetylsalicylic acid in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
For example, willow bark was administered for pain relief; and willow bark contains acetylsalicylic acid – aspirin.
—Grrlscientist, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
Other NSAIDs in this category include aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) and Aleve (naproxen).12 While usually mild, these rashes can sometimes develop into more serious conditions.
—Sarah Jividen, Verywell Health, 12 Sep. 2024
Beardsley asked his chemists to develop an effervescent tablet with aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) and sodium bicarbonate as the main ingredients.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Feb. 2024
Hoffmann improved on earlier work of French chemist Charles Frederic Gerhardt, who derived acetylsalicylic acid from plants, but only in an impure, unstable form.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Aug. 2023
This week in 1897, Dr. Felix Hoffmann successfully created a chemically pure and stable form of acetylsalicylic acid, a new kind of pain reliever.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Aug. 2022
Hoffmann had improved on the earlier work of French chemist Charles Frederic Gerhardt, who derived acetylsalicylic acid from plants, but only in an impure, unstable form (1853).
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Aug. 2022
Tend Skin Women's AfterShave/Post Waxing Solution ($16, Amazon), for example, contains the anti-inflammatory agent acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin).
—Melanie Rud, SELF, 16 June 2022
Various historic accounts report that aspirin was registered in the Imperial Patent Office in Berlin on March 6, 1899, as the brand name for acetylsalicylic acid, on behalf of the German pharmaceutical company Friedrich Bayer & Co.
—Kevin Dayhoff, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, 19 Feb. 2022
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.
Grrlscientist, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
Other NSAIDs in this category include aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) and Aleve (naproxen).12 While usually mild, these rashes can sometimes develop into more serious conditions.
—Sarah Jividen, Verywell Health, 12 Sep. 2024
Beardsley asked his chemists to develop an effervescent tablet with aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) and sodium bicarbonate as the main ingredients.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Feb. 2024
Hoffmann improved on earlier work of French chemist Charles Frederic Gerhardt, who derived acetylsalicylic acid from plants, but only in an impure, unstable form.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Aug. 2023
This week in 1897, Dr. Felix Hoffmann successfully created a chemically pure and stable form of acetylsalicylic acid, a new kind of pain reliever.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Aug. 2022
Hoffmann had improved on the earlier work of French chemist Charles Frederic Gerhardt, who derived acetylsalicylic acid from plants, but only in an impure, unstable form (1853).
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Aug. 2022
Tend Skin Women's AfterShave/Post Waxing Solution ($16, Amazon), for example, contains the anti-inflammatory agent acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin).
—Melanie Rud, SELF, 16 June 2022
Various historic accounts report that aspirin was registered in the Imperial Patent Office in Berlin on March 6, 1899, as the brand name for acetylsalicylic acid, on behalf of the German pharmaceutical company Friedrich Bayer & Co.
—Kevin Dayhoff, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, 19 Feb. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Acetylsalicylic acid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acetylsalicylic%20acid. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
acetylsalicylic acid
noun
ace·tyl·sal·i·cyl·ic acid
ə-ˈsēt-ᵊl-ˌsal-ə-ˌsil-ik-
Medical Definition
acetylsalicylic acid
noun
ace·tyl·sal·i·cyl·ic acid
ə-ˈsēt-ᵊl-ˌsal-ə-ˌsil-ik-
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share