antipsychotic

noun

an·​ti·​psy·​chot·​ic ˌan-tē-sī-ˈkä-tik 

ˌan-tī-

: any of the powerful tranquilizers (such as the phenothiazines and butyrophenones) used especially to treat psychosis and believed to act by blocking dopamine nervous receptors

called also neuroleptic

antipsychotic adjective

Examples of antipsychotic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Collin is finally sharing the truth about being held down, the basement cell where he was hidden for years, and the cocktail of powerful antipsychotics forced on an 11-year-old boy. — Yamillah Hurtado, PEOPLE, 1 July 2026

The list of medications that can lead to falls is longer than people might suspect, such as loop diuretics, antidepressants, benzodiazepines, antipsychotics, and opioids. — Adaira Landry, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026

Some studies show antipsychotics could limit violent outcomes in patients, but more research is needed to determine whether meds can reduce violence to the same level as the general population. — David Oliver, USA Today, 23 Dec. 2025

My brother was a poet, classics scholar, and charismatic leader of nerds who blossomed into a handsome surfer and then nosedived into schizophrenia and a life of unfiltered Camel cigarettes, caffeine, and antipsychotics. — Kim Gordon, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1958, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for antipsychotic

• antibiotic
• antithrombotic
• epizootic
• eukaryotic
• homoerotic
• prokaryotic
• psychoneurotic
• unpatriotic
• xenobiotic
• abiotic
• aeronautic
• apoptotic

Medical Definition

antipsychotic

1 of 2 adjective

an·​ti·​psy·​chot·​ic ˌant-i-sī-ˈkät-ik, ˌan-ˌtī- 

: of, being, or involving the use of an antipsychotic

antipsychotic drugs

antipsychotic

2 of 2 noun

: any of the powerful tranquilizers (as the phenothiazines or butyrophenones) used especially to treat psychosis and believed to act by blocking dopamine nervous receptors

called also neuroleptic