medicinal

adjective

me·​dic·​i·​nal

mə-ˈdis-nəl,

-ˈdi-sᵊn-əl 

 in Shakespeare & Milton  ˌme-di-ˈsī-nᵊl,

 &  ˈmed-sə-nəl

1

: tending or used to cure disease or relieve pain

a medicinal compound

the plant's medicinal properties

used for medicinal purposes

2

: salutary

medicinal noun

medicinally

mə-ˈdis-nə-lē 

-ˈdi-sᵊn-ə-lē;

adverb

Synonyms

• cure
• drug
• medicament
• medication
• medicine
• pharmaceutical
• physic
• remedy
• specific

Examples of medicinal in a Sentence

This drug is to be used only for medicinal purposes.

even in Roman times the hot mineral springs of Bath, England, were believed to possess medicinal properties

Recent Examples on the Web

On my final morning, Morné walked me through the gardens tended by head gardener Constance who flashed me the brightest of smiles — past the medicinal plants, through the rows of nasturtiums, into the cool, fragrant greenhouse. —Rooksana Hossenally, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025

Advertisement Where is the use of psilocybin for medicinal purposes legal? —Chad De Guzman, Time, 18 June 2025

By being more mindful and making small adjustments, sweet treats can actually be a healthy and even medicinal part of your diet. —Michiko Tomioka, CNBC, 6 June 2025

Gin and tonics have been a staple of cocktail culture since the 19th century, when they were first developed as a medicinal solution to treat malaria in India. —Austa Somvichian-Clausen, Robb Report, 5 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing medicinal

• medicinal leech

Rhymes for medicinal

• officinal

Kids Definition

medicinal

adjective

me·​dic·​i·​nal mə-ˈdis-nəl 

-ᵊn-əl

: tending or used to cure disease or relieve pain

medicinally

-ē

adverb

Medical Definition

medicinal

1 of 2 adjective

me·​dic·​i·​nal mə-ˈdis-nəl, -ᵊn-əl 

: of, relating to, or being medicine : tending or used to cure disease or relieve pain

medicinally

-ē 

adverb

medicinal

2 of 2 noun

: a medicinal substance : medicine