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

Government officials hosted an eclectic mix of wealthy philanthropists, alternative medicine influencers, health tech executives, and medical researchers to discuss a wide range of issues, from Lyme disease to gut health. —Amanda Seitz, Miami Herald, 17 Mar. 2026

Government officials hosted an eclectic mix of wealthy philanthropists, alternative medicine influencers, health tech executives, and medical researchers to discuss a wide range of issues, from Lyme disease to gut health. —Kff Health News, Oc Register, 16 Mar. 2026

The first of these payments was made to fund da Silva’s alternative medicine endeavors, with recurring payments of multiple thousands of dollars afterward. —Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 7 Feb. 2026

While preparing for a project about 15 years ago, Morvan met his current partner, Tessa van der Steen, who is Dutch and works as a health and fitness coach and alternative medicine practitioner. —Christine Terrisse, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 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