antiviral

1 of 2

adjective

an·​ti·​vi·​ral ˌan-tē-ˈvī-rəl 

ˌan-tī-

1

medical : acting, effective, or directed against viruses

an antiviral vaccine/drug

2

: used to protect a computer from viruses : antivirus

antiviral software

antiviral

2 of 2

noun

: an antiviral agent and especially a drug

antivirals used in treating influenza

Examples of antiviral in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

All were successfully treated with an antiviral medication. —Brenda Goodman, CNN, 11 June 2024

Treatments, including the antiviral drug Paxlovid, are also available and are effective tools for preventing severe COVID, especially among adults aged 65 or older and other individuals who are at high risk of hospitalization from the disease. —Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 5 June 2024

Noun

They were also given antivirals to distribute to people in their household, according to a spokesperson from the Texas Department of State Health Services. —Jamie Ducharme, TIME, 23 May 2024

Researchers are working on newer antivirals and vaccine strategies, but those efforts are nascent and wouldn’t do much for us if the situation suddenly took a more serious turn. —Lisa Jarvis, Twin Cities, 10 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1929, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1959, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

antiviral

1 of 2 adjective

an·​ti·​vi·​ral -ˈvi-rəl 

variants also antivirus

-rəs 

: acting, effective, or directed against viruses

antiviral drugs

antiviral

2 of 2 noun

: an antiviral agent and especially a drug