an·ti·vi·ral
ˌan-tē-ˈvī-rəl 
ˌan-tī-
: an antiviral agent and especially a drug
antivirals used in treating influenza
Examples of antiviral in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 11 Nov. 2025
Cardamom tea alone won’t replace vaccines or antiviral medicines.
—New Atlas, 25 Oct. 2025
Elisabeth Rosenthal, Miami Herald, 11 Nov. 2025
Antimicrobials include antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, and antiparasitics—all used to prevent and treat infectious disease.
—Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for antiviral
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Adjective
The deal marks a win for Pfizer in its efforts to catch up with Eli Lilly and Novo, which makes Ozempic, in the obesity drug market; Pfizer has seen a rapid decline in its COVID-19 business due to lower demand for vaccines and antiviral drugs.
—Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 11 Nov. 2025
Cardamom tea alone won’t replace vaccines or antiviral medicines.
—New Atlas, 25 Oct. 2025
Noun
Those market factors contributed to a landscape where a dose of the antiviral Paxlovid given in a hospital costs $4,500; magnetic resonance imaging costs $15,000; and joint replacements cost $100,000.
—Elisabeth Rosenthal, Miami Herald, 11 Nov. 2025
Antimicrobials include antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, and antiparasitics—all used to prevent and treat infectious disease.
—Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for antiviral
Cite this Entry
“Antiviral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antiviral. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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