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

Additionally, there are currently six atypical, or second-generation, antipsychotics that are FDA-approved for use in children and adolescents. —Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 20 Feb. 2025

These include medications such as antidepressants, antipsychotics, and antibiotics. —Jessica Swirble, Verywell Health, 11 Feb. 2025

Dopamine Agonists Dopamine antagonists include antipsychotics and antiemetics. —Ayesha Gulzar, Verywell Health, 4 Feb. 2025

Atypical antipsychotics – medication used to treat a range of psychiatric disorders – are often used to treat psychosis in Alzheimer’s patients even though they are not approved for that purpose. —Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 15 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1958, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for antipsychotic

• antibiotic
• antithrombotic
• epizootic
• homoerotic
• psychoneurotic
• unpatriotic
• xenobiotic
• abiotic
• aeronautic
• apoptotic
• asymptotic
• cyanotic

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