acetaminophen

noun

acet·​amin·​o·​phen ə-ˌsē-tə-ˈmi-nə-fən 

ˌa-sə-tə-

: a crystalline compound C₈H₉NO₂ that is a hydroxy derivative of acetanilide and is used in chemical synthesis and in medicine to relieve pain and fever

Examples of acetaminophen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Pharmacotherapy includes different classes of medicines such as over-the-counter NSAIDs and acetaminophen; topical agents (e.g. lidocaine, diclofenac); antidepressants (amitryptaline, venlafaxine); or antiepileptics (pregabalin, gabapentin). —Lipi Roy, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025

Alternate between NSAIDs and acetaminophen to manage major pain and reduce side effects. —Andee Tagle, NPR, 18 Apr. 2025

Relieve pain with acetaminophen or ibuprofen and itching with cortisone cream. —Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Apr. 2025

Many of the drug ingredients manufactured abroad—like ibuprofen and acetaminophen—show up in a variety of medications. —Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 6 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

acet(yl) + amino + phen(ol)

Note: Shortened from N-acetyl-p-aminophenol. Acetaminophen was introduced as a generic name roughly coincident with the introduction of the trademark preparation Tylenol, which was first marketed as "Children's Tylenol Elixir" in 1955 by McNeil Laboratories. Synthesis of the substance, as acetylamidophenol, was first reported in Berichte der Deutschen Chemischen Gesellschaft, 11. Jahrgang (Jan.-Juni, 1878), p. 232-33 (H. N. Morse, "Ueber eine neue Darstellungsmethode der Acetylamidophenole"). Its antipyretic properties were recognized by the German physician Josef von Mering in the 1893 article "Beiträge zur Kenntniss der Antipyretica" (Therapeutische Monatshefte, 7, pp. 577-87)—he also refers to it as acetylamidophenol.

First Known Use

1958, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

acetaminophen

noun

acet·​amin·​o·​phen ə-ˌsēt-ə-ˈmin-ə-fən 

: a crystalline compound used in medicine to relieve pain and fever

Medical Definition

acetaminophen

noun

acet·​amin·​o·​phen ə-ˌsēt-ə-ˈmin-ə-fən  ˌas-ət- 

: a crystalline compound C₈H₉NO₂ that is a hydroxy derivative of acetanilide and is used in chemical synthesis and in medicine instead of aspirin to relieve pain and fever

called also paracetamol

see liquiprin, panadol, tylenol