patent medicine

noun

Definition of patent medicinenext
as in prescription drug

Related Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of patent medicine Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, the soft drink was initially sold at pharmacies as a patent medicine. — Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 29 Sep. 2025 His point was that the pills — a patent medicine used as a laxative — and the other three would all reliably deliver for the poor folks of the Mountain State. — Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 7 Feb. 2025 Judy Shelton got a taste of patent medicine of this sort when she was mobbed out of a Federal Reserve governorship. — Brian Domitrovic, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025 By the end of the century, lithia water (water with a trace amount of lithium) was marketed as a patent medicine. — Shayla Love, The Atlantic, 4 Oct. 2024 See All Example Sentences for patent medicine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for patent medicine
  1. prescription drug
  2. prescription
  3. botanical
  4. medicine
  5. drug
Noun
  • Acton, who led Ohio’s Covid-19 response, prioritized protecting the accessibility of Medicaid, forgiving medical debt, tackling surprise billing, and creating a new prescription drug plan to lower costs.
    — Sarah Todd, STAT, 4 Nov. 2026
  • One potential concern for investors is whether the retail pharmacy will lose its competitive advantage of being directly linked with a PBM, which negotiates drug prices and manages prescription drug benefits on behalf of insurers and employers.
    — Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of prescription drug
Noun
  • Other experts share Jiang’s concern that some women are getting prescriptions for testosterone at doses that may be too high.
    — Fran Kritz, Verywell Health, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Folks who wear prescription glasses can continue using their corrective lenses alongside the system.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of prescription
Noun
  • Each botanical is distilled separately before being blended together, a production technique that master distiller Steve Wilson has said was inspired by perfume (the design of the bottle follows suit).
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Green tea extract helps make dark circles look less noticeable, while the brand’s peptide- and botanical-based TriHex Technology helps skin make more collagen, which can leave the undereye area looking smoother and firmer over time.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of botanical
Noun
  • Seniors deserve affordable medicines, dependable service, and the freedom to choose the pharmacy options that work best for them.
    — L. Prather McKinnon, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Oct. 2026
  • How remibrutinib works Remibrutinib belongs to a class of medicines known as BTK inhibitors, which aim to reduce the immune system activity that damages nerves in MS patients.
    — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of medicine
Noun
  • The Democrat touted his experience responding to the pandemic and negotiating lower drug prices, but critics, including some inside the administration, accused him of passivity and of mishandling an influx in child migrants.
    — Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Inflation and economic pressure have led more Americans to eat at home or turn to fast food for a cheaper option, while the rise of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic has curbed customers’ appetites.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of drug

Browse Nearby Words

patently
patent medicine
patent medicines
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Patent medicine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patent%20medicine. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of effrontery

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

The Words of the Week - Nov. 6

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All