overtreatment

noun

over·​treat·​ment ˌō-vər-ˈtrēt-mənt How to pronounce overtreatment (audio)
: treatment that is excessive or too frequent
especially : too much medical treatment
patients subjected to overtreatment due to new screening guidelines

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1904, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of overtreatment was circa 1904

Dictionary Entries Near overtreatment

overtreat

overtreatment

overtrick

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Overtreatment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overtreatment. Accessed 31 Jan. 2023.

Copy Citation

Share

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of savant

See Definitions and Examples »

Test Your Vocabulary

Challenging Words You Should Know

  • hedgehog reading a book
  • Often used to describe “the march of time,” what does inexorable mean?
True or False

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can with using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.

Can you make 12 words with 7 letters?

PLAY
Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games