antiviral

1 of 2

adjective

an·​ti·​vi·​ral ˌan-tē-ˈvī-rəl 

ˌan-tī-

1

medical : acting, effective, or directed against viruses

an antiviral vaccine/drug

2

: used to protect a computer from viruses : antivirus

antiviral software

antiviral

2 of 2

noun

: an antiviral agent and especially a drug

antivirals used in treating influenza

Examples of antiviral in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Advertisement She was also treated with three antiviral medications, including oseltamivir (brand name Tamiflu), amantadine (Gocovri) and baloxavir (Xofluza). —Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2025

Most bird flu cases in the U.S. have been mild, and patients have typically recovered after receiving antiviral medication. —Youri Benadjaoud, ABC News, 31 Dec. 2024

Noun

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said the person who contracted bird flu had mild symptoms, was treated with antivirals and is now recovering at home. —Greg Wehner, Fox News, 24 Dec. 2024

Officials didn’t specify the person’s gender or other identifying information to respect the patient’s privacy, but said the person is being treated with antivirals and is at home recovering with mild symptoms. —Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 24 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1929, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1959, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

antiviral

1 of 2 adjective

an·​ti·​vi·​ral -ˈvi-rəl 

variants also antivirus

-rəs 

: acting, effective, or directed against viruses

antiviral drugs

antiviral

2 of 2 noun

: an antiviral agent and especially a drug