contraindication
noun
Did you know?
For doctors, an indication is a symptom or circumstance that makes a particular medical treatment desirable. Serious anxiety, for example, is often an indication for prescribing a tranquilizer. A contraindication, then, is a symptom or condition that makes a treatment risky, such as taking certain other medications at the same time. Drugs and conditions that are contraindicated for a medication are listed on its label, and reeled off at high speed in TV ads. Patients can guard against the dangers of drug interaction by reading labels carefully and making sure their doctors know what else they're currently taking.
Examples of contraindication in a Sentence
Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Aug. 2025
These therapies require careful screening, have contraindications, and aren’t appropriate for all patients.
—Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 18 Aug. 2025
This evolution will steadily progress to passive monitoring, for instance, checking prescription drug dosages, identifying potential interactions and flagging contraindications.
—London Business School, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
Nearly three of every five people with ESRD have a contraindication for a kidney transplant.30
The two main types of dialysis are:31
Hemodialysis uses a special machine that mechanically removes, filters, and returns your blood to active circulation.
—Robert Burakoff, Verywell Health, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contraindication
Cite this Entry
“Contraindication.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contraindication. Accessed 7 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
contraindication
noun
Share