contraindication

noun

con·​tra·​in·​di·​ca·​tion ˌkän-trə-ˌin-də-ˈkā-shən 

: something (such as a symptom or condition) that makes a particular treatment or procedure inadvisable

Did you know?

For doctors, an indication is a symptom or circumstance that makes a particular medical treatment desirable. Serious anxiety, for example, is often an indication for prescribing a tranquilizer. A contraindication, then, is a symptom or condition that makes a treatment risky, such as taking certain other medications at the same time. Drugs and conditions that are contraindicated for a medication are listed on its label, and reeled off at high speed in TV ads. Patients can guard against the dangers of drug interaction by reading labels carefully and making sure their doctors know what else they're currently taking.

Examples of contraindication in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Nearly three of every five people with ESRD have a contraindication for a kidney transplant.30 The two main types of dialysis are:31 Hemodialysis uses a special machine that mechanically removes, filters, and returns your blood to active circulation. —Robert Burakoff, Verywell Health, 26 Feb. 2025

When to Avoid Zoloft Completely The prescribing information for Zoloft lists several contraindications, which means Zoloft should never be taken under these circumstances. —Karen Berger, Pharmd, Verywell Health, 20 Feb. 2025

The products do not specify how much of the active ingredient is contained in each dose, and there is no mention of possible side effects or contraindications, said officials. —Jack Guy, CNN, 21 Jan. 2025

For example, having a bleeding disorder is a contraindication for taking aspirin because this drug may cause excess bleeding under any circumstances. —Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 1 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1623, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for contraindication

• acclimatisation
• acclimatization
• acidification
• actualization
• annualization
• autocorrelation
• autoregulation
• beatification
• beneficiation
• biodegradation
• biotransformation
• bureaucratization

Medical Definition

contraindication

noun

con·​tra·​in·​di·​ca·​tion -ˌin-də-ˈkā-shən 

: something (as a symptom or condition) that makes a particular treatment or procedure inadvisable