antiretroviral

adjective

an·​ti·​re·​tro·​vi·​ral ˌan-tē-ˈre-trō-ˌvī-rəl 

ˌan-tī-

: acting, used, or effective against retroviruses

antiretroviral drugs

antiretroviral therapy

antiretroviral noun

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Lenacapavir is an antiretroviral drug, which works by stopping the virus from replicating to keep HIV levels in the body very low. —Nada Hassanein, USA TODAY, 30 Dec. 2022

On March 19, 1987, the Food and Drug Administration approved an antiretroviral drug known as AZT to treat HIV infection. —Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 5 June 2021

The good science in this case is the fact that there are very effective antiretroviral drug out there, which make HIV/AIDS a treatable disorder. —Chris Mooney, Discover Magazine, 3 May 2011

He’s been unhoused since 2012 and struggled to maintain his antiretroviral therapy while living in homeless shelters or on the street. —Hadley Green, Washington Post, 2 Dec. 2022

Undetectability is achieved and maintained by taking a daily pill of HIV antiretroviral therapy. —Jordan Gonsalves, Time, 1 Dec. 2022

These regimens, which are a combination of different medicines, are more commonly referred to as an antiretroviral treatment, or ART. —Emily Rekstis, Allure, 26 Oct. 2022

Skin rashes are a common possible side effect in many medications used in antiretroviral therapy. —Emily Rekstis, Allure, 26 Oct. 2022

Their work influenced guidelines on when to initiate antiretroviral therapy in people with HIV, for example. —Byscience News Staff, science.org, 13 Oct. 2022

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Word History

First Known Use

1979, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

antiretroviral

1 of 2 adjective

an·​ti·​ret·​ro·​vi·​ral -ˈre-trō-ˌvī-rəl 

variants also anti-retroviral

: acting, used, or effective against retroviruses

All four drugs, which inhibit HIV protease and thus interfere with viral maturation and replication, are the most potent antiretroviral agents available to treat patients with HIV disease.

—The Journal of the American Medical Association

antiretroviral therapy

see highly active antiretroviral therapy

antiretroviral

2 of 2 noun

variants also anti-retroviral

: an agent effective against retroviruses

Current anti-HIV drugs, or antiretrovirals, bind to specific HIV enzymes and impede their activity.

—Douglas D. Richman, Scientific American