anti-inflammatory

adjective an·ti-in·flam·ma·to·ry \ -in-ˈfla-mə-ˌtȯr-ē \

Definition of anti-inflammatory

:counteracting inflammation

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noun

1736

adjective

adjective an·ti-in·flam·ma·to·ry \ -in-ˈflam-ə-ˌtōr-ē, -ˌtȯr- \

variants: also anti-inflammation play \-ˌin-flə-ˈmā-shən\

:reducing or counteracting inflammation

Ibuprofen was the anti-inflammatory drug most commonly used, but others, including naprosyn, also were taken.
—Laurie McGinley, The Wall Street Journal, 10 Mar. 1997

Most anti-inflammatory drugs target the arachidonic acid cascade, which produces two major mediators of inflammatory responses, prostaglandins and leukotrienes. Nonsteroidal drugs can dam only one side of the cascade—they block production of prostaglandins but leave the leukotrienes unaffected. Steroidal drugs block both routes, but their side effects can make them an undesirable, though sometimes irreplaceable, treatment.
—L. Davis, Science News, 13 Sept. 1986

A recent boon to the eczema-prone is a growing array of over-the-counter cortisone anti-inflammation applications.
—Paul G. Donohue, The Springfield (Massachusetts) Union-News, 29 Aug. 1994

noun

plural anti-inflammatories

:an anti-inflammatory agent :a drug (as aspirin or ibuprofen) that reduces inflammation

Without anti-inflammatories, gouty attacks subside on their own—but may require several painful weeks, as opposed to the day or two required with anti-inflammatories.
—Harvard Medical School Health Letter, April 1989