metformin

noun

met·​for·​min met-ˈfȯr-mən 

: a drug used in the form of its hydrochloride C₄H₁₁N₅·HCl especially to treat type 2 diabetes

Examples of metformin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Healthy eating, being active and getting enough sleep may be enough to help manage the condition in some circumstances, or doctors may prescribe metformin, insulin or other medicines (along with lifestyle factors). —Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Aug. 2025

That could affect drugs such as warfarin, antibiotics, metformin, and Tylenol (acetaminophen). —Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 14 Aug. 2025

The results hint that, at the doses typically prescribed, metformin may partly work by silencing Rap1’s activity in the brain, not just by acting on the liver or gut. —William A. Haseltine, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025

This category includes vegans and vegetarians, people taking specific medications that interfere with B12 absorption such as metformin or proton pump inhibitors, and those who have gastrointestinal disorders like Crohn’s, celiac, or atrophic gastritis. —Perri Ormont Blumberg, Time, 13 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

methyl + -formin (as in phenformin, an earlier antidiabetic drug)

First Known Use

1961, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for metformin

• longshoreman
• longshoremen
• corpsman
• foreman
• foremen
• mormon
• warman

Medical Definition

metformin

noun

met·​for·​min met-ˈfȯr-mən 

: an antidiabetic drug used in the form of its hydrochloride C₄H₁₁N₅·HCl especially to treat type 2 diabetes in patients unresponsive to or intolerant of approved sulfonylurea drugs

Note: Trademarks for preparations containing metformin include Glucophage, Glucovance, Invokamet, Janumet, Jentadueto, and Kombiglyze.