patent medicine

noun

Definition of patent medicinenext
as in prescription drug

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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
  • Pharmacists have long argued that middlemen called pharmacy benefit managers (PBM)—which manage prescription drug benefits for insurers—reimburse pharmacies too little for many medications, cutting into pharmacy margins.
    — Alana Semuels, Time, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Also in 1987, Tammy Faye Bakker, whose heavy mascara became her trademark, was treated at the Betty Ford Center for prescription drug addiction.
    — Ronnie Glassberg, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of prescription drug
Noun
  • Muzaffar similarly questioned prescriptions to phase out coal or electrify production without first examining each factory’s constraints.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Don’t stop or adjust a prescription medication on your own to prepare for a procedure.
    — Malana VanTyler, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of prescription
Noun
  • Gingham, plaids, and checks are geometrically simple and can function like a neutral next to a busy botanical.
    — Ella Field, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Sep. 2026
  • One of the most common varieties of this picturesque botanical, English ivy (Hedera helix), might be harming your tree.
    — Rachel Silva, Martha Stewart, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of botanical
Noun
  • The international community’s ability to manage safe travel and secure banking, communications and quality standards for food, water, and medicine could all be compromised, too.
    — Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Boehringer has pitched the medicine as a way to help patients lose fat while preserving muscle, but without an edge, the drug becomes just one more contender in an increasingly crowded market dominated by Eli Lilly and Novo.
    — Ed Silverman, STAT, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of medicine
Noun
  • Ramsey is one of TV’s hottest actors right now, with previous roles including the fiery Lyanna Mormont in Game of Thrones, survivalist Ellie in The Last of Us and drug addict Kelsey in Time.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026
  • In bidding to halt Howard's execution, his attorneys had filed a motion hours earlier before the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals raising concerns about the quality of Texas' execution drugs.
    — JAMIE STENGLE, Arkansas Online, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of drug

Browse Nearby Words

patently
patent medicine
patent medicines
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Cite this Entry

“Patent medicine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patent%20medicine. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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