Definition of adjuvant
1 : serving to aid or contribute : auxiliary
2 : assisting in the prevention, amelioration, or cure of disease adjuvant chemotherapy following surgery
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Did You Know?
Things that are adjuvant rarely get top billing—they're the supporting players, not the stars. But that doesn't mean they're not important. An adjuvant medicine, for example, can have a powerful healing effect when teamed up with another medicine or curative treatment. Adjuvant descends from the Latin verb adjuvare ("to aid"), which also gave English the nouns coadjutor ("assistant") and aid. These days, adjuvant tends to turn up most often in medical contexts, but it can also be used in the general sense of "serving to aid." Likewise, the noun adjuvant can mean "a drug or method that enhances the effectiveness of medical treatment" or simply "one that helps or facilitates."
Origin and Etymology of adjuvant
French or Latin; French, from Latin adjuvant-, adjuvans, present participle of adjuvare to aid — more at aid
adjuvant
Definition of adjuvant
: one that helps or facilitates: such asa : an ingredient (as in a prescription or a solution) that modifies the action of the principal ingredientb : something (such as a drug or method) that enhances the effectiveness of medical treatment used chemotherapy as an adjuvant to surgeryc : a substance (such as one added to a vaccine) enhancing the immune response to an antigen
Recent Examples of adjuvant from the Web
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The other is an adjuvant, an ingredient that helps create a stronger immune response, and is licensed for adults 65 and older.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'adjuvant.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of adjuvant
1583
Medical Dictionary
Medical Definition of adjuvant
1: serving to aid or contribute
2: assisting in the prevention, amelioration, or cure of disease adjuvant chemotherapy following surgery
adjuvant
Medical Definition of adjuvant
: one that helps or facilitates: asa: an ingredient (as in a prescription or solution) that facilitates or modifies the action of the principal ingredient the beneficial activity of the spray is enhanced by adjuvantsb: something (as a drug or method) that enhances the effectiveness of a medical treatment used chemotherapy as an adjuvant to surgeryc: a substance enhancing the immune response to an antigen
Learn More about adjuvant
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Nglish: Translation of adjuvant for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of adjuvant for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about adjuvant
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