narcotic

noun

nar·cot·ic | \ när-ˈkä-tik

Definition of narcotic

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : a drug (such as opium or morphine) that in moderate doses dulls the senses, relieves pain, and induces profound sleep but in excessive doses causes stupor, coma, or convulsions

b : a drug (such as marijuana or LSD) subject to restriction similar to that of addictive narcotics whether physiologically (see physiological) addictive and narcotic or not

2 : something that soothes, relieves, or lulls a public comforted by the narcotic of military supremacy

narcotic

adjective

Definition of narcotic (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : having the properties of, being, or yielding a narcotic narcotic sedatives narcotic coca leaves arrested for the sale of narcotic drugs including heroin … pills containing two common narcotic painkillers—hydrocodone and oxycodone—accounted for about 39 percent of drugs identified in criminal cases that involved prescription medications, according to statistics from the county Crime Laboratory.— David Riley

b : inducing mental lethargy or stupor He's still serving up drama in empty, narcotic snippets—life as a series of sound bites.— Owen Gleiberman

2a : of, involving, or concerned with narcotics : relating to the use of narcotics narcotic arrests narcotic addiction narcotic enforcement bureaus Narcotics and narcotic paraphernalia were located during the search at the residence on Sacramento Street.— Stacey Adams Naltrexone is a narcotic antagonist that prevents illicit drugs from binding to receptors in the brain without producing any high itself.— Mike Clary

b : produced by or as if by narcotics mild narcotic effects narcotic analgesia … a square of melting chocolate on the tongue is so narcotic it instantly provides a traveler with a sense of well-being.— Bert Greene The somnolent atmosphere, typical of his last pictures, conveys a sense of an almost narcotic trance.— Stephen Jones

3 : involving, affecting, or intended for people addicted to or dependent on narcotics narcotic rehab programs narcotic withdrawal

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Examples of narcotic in a Sentence

Noun an irradicable sense of self-righteousness seems to be the narcotic that inures these religious fanatics from any realization of the harm they have done Adjective some therapists believe that certain scents can have a narcotic effect on people the lecturer droned on in a narcotic monotone that eventually had the entire class struggling to stay awake

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Two people in Roseville died of apparent drug overdoses over 24 hours, leading police to warn the public about a dangerous new narcotic. — Katy Read, Star Tribune, "Two die in Roseville in sharp spike of apparent drug overdoses," 6 Feb. 2021 But others, who could make it through tough times until business resumes in a few months, are choosing consumer spending as a narcotic to get them through a bleak and lonely winter. — Terry Savage, chicagotribune.com, "Terry Savage: Credit card euphoria will lead to nasty hangover," 31 Dec. 2020 Oh made multiple recommendations, including medications and specific doses, including a narcotic. — oregonlive, "Judge finds Oregon Department of Corrections in contempt for ‘inhumane’ treatment of paralyzed inmate; orders man’s release," 15 Dec. 2020 Would the latter mean the student had possessed a narcotic in school? — Chad Calder | Staff Writer, NOLA.com, "Jefferson Parish School Board members clash with AG lawyer over virtual learning discipline policy," 4 Nov. 2020 The idea is to reduce the chance of addiction by reducing how long the patient is on the narcotic. — Eric Felten, al, "Is Walmart a villain or victim of America’s deadly opioid crisis?," 23 Oct. 2020 But her new narcotic of choice required running shoes and willpower, not pipes and pushers. — Myron P. Medcalf, Star Tribune, "She found running, and left troubles in the dust," 27 Sep. 2011 X-Men United, with an incident where sources say Singer allegedly defied producer Tom DeSanto to continue shooting while under the influence of a narcotic. — Tyler Aquilina, EW.com, "X-Men cast allegedly threatened to quit en masse due to Bryan Singer's on-set behavior," 31 July 2020 The nation's largest police force is now implementing their plan to have administrative and narcotics officers out in patrol cars to fill the void. — NBC News, "6,100 NYPD officers call out sick," 18 Apr. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective According to the decision, the victim consumed approximately five shots of vodka and a prescription narcotic pill before going to a bar in Minneapolis in May 2017. — Konstantin Toropin, CNN, "Minnesota Supreme Court overturns a felony rape conviction because the woman voluntarily got intoxicated," 30 Mar. 2021 The child’s mother, who was unidentified, was arrested and charged with child endangerment and possession of a narcotic, police said. — Vanessa Arredondo, San Francisco Chronicle, "2-year-old in Concord rescued with Narcan after ingesting fentanyl," 29 Mar. 2021 San Francisco Police Department authorities apprehended 53-year-old Victor Brown and charged him with assault, hate crime battery, resisting arrest, and possession of narcotic paraphernalia in connection to the incident. — Jake Dima, Washington Examiner, "Asian American veteran pummeled in San Francisco and police nab suspect for alleged hate crime," 23 Mar. 2021 Officers and emergency workers attempted to revive him with CPR, with a defibrillator and by administering the anti-narcotic drug Narcan. — Steve Rubenstein, San Francisco Chronicle, "Investigation launched after man dies following struggle with Antioch police," 25 Feb. 2021 The charging documents note Blake’s previous felony convictions in January 2009 in Elkhart County for dealing in cocaine or a narcotic drug and criminal recklessness. — Amy Lavalley, chicagotribune.com, "State to seek enhanced sentencing for Michigan City man charged in Valparaiso teen’s shooting death," 11 Mar. 2021 Years of anti-drug programs in school, coupled with the DEA listing cannabis as a Schedule 1 narcotic, lead people to believe that cannabis use leads to other, much harder drug use. — Harrison Wise, Rolling Stone, "How to Educate Cannabis Consumers Through Marketing," 10 Mar. 2021 The 1½-page report that year said there was no wait for narcotic replacement treatment, intensive residential treatment and residential step-down treatment. — Mallory Moench, San Francisco Chronicle, "With overdoses spiking, San Francisco's leaders are trying to force the city into action," 9 Mar. 2021 And nine of the 19 experts on the panel that produced the number had financial connections to companies that manufacture narcotic painkillers. — John Fauber, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Purdue Pharma, whose OxyContin sparked the opioid epidemic, agrees to pay $8 billion," 21 Oct. 2020

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

History and Etymology for narcotic

Noun

Middle English nercotike, narkotyke, borrowed from Middle French & Medieval Latin; Middle French narcotique, borrowed from Medieval Latin narcōticus, noun derivative of narcōticus, adjective, "dulling the senses, inducing sleep" — more at narcotic entry 2

Adjective

borrowed from Middle French & Medieval Latin; Middle French narcotique "(of a drug) dulling the senses, inducing sleep," borrowed from Medieval Latin narcōticus, borrowed from Greek narkōtikós, from narkō-, variant stem of narkoûn "to benumb, deaden" + -t-, verbal adjective suffix + -ikos -ic entry 1 — more at narcosis

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Last Updated

5 Mar 2021

Cite this Entry

“Narcotic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/narcotic. Accessed 19 Apr. 2021.

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More Definitions for narcotic

narcotic

noun

English Language Learners Definition of narcotic

: a drug (such as cocaine, heroin, or marijuana) that affects the brain and that is usually dangerous and illegal

medical : a drug that is given to people in small amounts to make them sleep or feel less pain

See the full definition for narcotic in the English Language Learners Dictionary

narcotic

noun

nar·cot·ic | \ när-ˈkä-tik

Kids Definition of narcotic

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a drug that in small doses dulls the senses, relieves pain, and brings on sleep but in larger doses has dangerous effects, that includes some (as morphine) that are used in medicine and others (as heroin) that are used illegally, and that often causes addiction

narcotic

adjective

Kids Definition of narcotic (Entry 2 of 2)

: of, relating to, or being a narcotic narcotic drugs narcotic laws

narcotic

noun

nar·cot·ic | \ när-ˈkät-ik

Medical Definition of narcotic

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a drug (as codeine, methadone, or morphine) that in moderate doses dulls the senses, relieves pain, and induces profound sleep but in excessive doses causes stupor, coma, or convulsions

2 : a drug (as marijuana or LSD) subject to restriction similar to that of addictive narcotics whether in fact physiologically addictive and narcotic or not

narcotic

adjective

Medical Definition of narcotic (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : having the properties of, being, or yielding a narcotic narcotic analgesics … pills containing two common narcotic painkillers—hydrocodone and oxycodone—accounted for about 39 percent of drugs identified in criminal cases that involved prescription medications, according to statistics from the county Crime Laboratory.— David Riley, Rochester (New York) Democrat and Chronicle heroin and other illicit narcotic drugs

2a : of, involving, or concerned with narcotics : relating to the use of narcotics narcotic addiction Naltrexone is a narcotic antagonist that prevents illicit drugs from binding to receptors in the brain without producing any high itself.— Mike Clary, The Los Angeles Times

b : produced by narcotics narcotic analgesia

3 : involving, affecting, or intended for people addicted to or dependent on narcotics narcotic rehab programs narcotic withdrawal

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