alternative medicine

noun

: any of various systems of healing or treating disease (such as chiropractic, homeopathy, or faith healing) not included in the traditional medical curricula of the U.S. and Britain

Examples of alternative medicine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s investigation of the alternative medicine industry uncovered a pattern of practitioners across Georgia pushing legal limits on what they’re allowed to do and presenting confusing information about their credentials. —Carrie Teegardin, AJC.com, 17 June 2026

Carillon Miami Wellness Resort (Miami Beach, Florida) Carillon’s offerings include acupuncture, cryotherapy, integrative therapies, advanced diagnostics and thermal hydrotherapy, with treatments that pull from Western, Eastern and alternative medicine. —Lauren Schuster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 May 2026

Mindfulness is now widely advocated as a component of psychotherapy and as an element of complementary and alternative medicine. —Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Apr. 2026

The Trump administration aims to penalize disabled adults who live with their families, ProPublica Facebook has a health scam problem, New York Times Opinion: Why alternative medicine can feel so much better than mainstream health care, STAT An urgent care treated her allergic reaction. —Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 29 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1972, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for alternative medicine

• biomedicine
• telemedicine

Kids Definition

alternative medicine

noun

: any of various systems of healing or treating disease (as herbal medicine) involving approaches not customarily taught or practiced in the U.S.

Medical Definition

alternative medicine

noun

: any of various systems of healing or treating disease (as homeopathy, chiropractic, naturopathy, Ayurveda, or faith healing) that are not included in the traditional curricula taught in medical schools of the United States and Britain