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complementary medicine
noun
: any of the practices (such as acupuncture) of alternative medicine accepted and utilized by mainstream medical practitioners
also
: alternative medicine
Examples of complementary medicine in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
These practitioners use Western medicine, traditional medicine, and complementary medicine.
—Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 24 Sep. 2024
Homeopathy is a form of alternative or complementary medicine that emphasizes using natural substances to stimulate the body’s self-healing mechanisms.
—Sarah Jividen, Health, 20 July 2024
For some cancers, the use of complementary medicine was associated with over a doubling in the risk of death.
—David Robert Grimes, Scientific American, 1 July 2024
This idea has been an especially popular one for practitioners of alternative or complementary medicine.
—Anju Goel, Verywell Health, 25 Mar. 2024
It’s considered a type of mind-body complementary medicine.
—Mayo Clinic News Network, Anchorage Daily News, 4 July 2023
Edzard Ernst, former professor of complementary medicine at the University of Exeter, has written extensively about acupuncture also concurs.
—Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 30 May 2010
To better understand pain in America, USA TODAY spoke with more than 50 experts – in pain control, psychology, complementary medicine, addiction and neuroscience – and people who live with pain every day.
—Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY, 11 Dec. 2022
Edzard Ernst, a professor of complementary medicine at the University of Exeter, said that there was no scientific evidence to support the efficacy of the detox tonic.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appétit, 6 Oct. 2022
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Word History
First Known Use
1982, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of complementary medicine was
in 1982
Dictionary Entries Near complementary medicine
Cite this Entry
“Complementary medicine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/complementary%20medicine. Accessed 5 Dec. 2024.
Medical Definition
complementary medicine
noun
: any of the practices (as acupuncture) of alternative medicine accepted and utilized by mainstream medical practitioners
also
: alternative medicine
More from Merriam-Webster on complementary medicine
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about complementary medicine
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