cetirizine

noun

ce·tir·i·zine | \ se-ˈtir-ə-ˌzēn

variants: or less commonly cetirizine hydrochloride

Definition of cetirizine

: a long-acting, nonsedating, antihistamine drug taken orally in the form of its hydrochloride C₂₁H₂₅ClN₂O₃·2HCl especially to treat allergic rhinitis and chronic hives

Note: Cetirizine is marketed under the trademark Zyrtec.

Examples of cetirizine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The only real differences between pills like Allegra (fexofenadine), Zyrtec (cetirizine), and Claritin (loratadine) are how the body metabolizes them. — Sara Chodosh, Popular Science, 19 Apr. 2020 Loratadine gets processed a lot by your liver, whereas cetirizine and fexofenadine don't as much. — Sara Chodosh, Popular Science, 19 Apr. 2020 Two allergy medications — cetirizine, also known as Zyrtec, and loratadine, sold under the Claritin brand — cost about three-quarters less on Amazon than the drugstore chains’ house brands did in the store. — Bloomberg, latimes.com, 6 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cetirizine.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Learn More About cetirizine

Dictionary Entries Near cetirizine

Cetiosaurus

cetirizine

cetoleic acid

Statistics for cetirizine

Cite this Entry

“Cetirizine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cetirizine. Accessed 28 Jan. 2022.

Style: MLA

MLA

Chicago

APA

Merriam-Webster Check Mark Icon

More Definitions for cetirizine

cetirizine

noun

ce·tir·i·zine | \ se-ˈtir-ə-ˌzēn

Medical Definition of cetirizine

: a long-acting, nonsedating, antihistamine drug that is taken orally in the form of its dihydrochloride C₂₁H₂₅ClN₂O₃·2HCl especially to treat allergic rhinitis and chronic hives

Note: Cetirizine is a derivative of piperazine and an H₁ antagonist that binds competitively with histamine to H₁ receptors on cell membranes. It is marketed under the trademark Zyrtec.