off-label

adjective

off-la·​bel ˈȯf-ˌlā-bəl 

: of, relating to, or being a drug used to treat a condition for which it has not been officially approved

Examples of off-label in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

SSRIs are approved by the FDA to treat a range of conditions such as anxiety, depression, bulimia nervosa, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and are used off-label to treat several others. —Adrianna Rodriguez, USA Today, 22 May 2025

The drug is often prescribed for off-label use to treat a range of pain conditions, studies show. —Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 21 May 2025

Recently, these medications have become extremely popular, in part due to off-label use. —Erica Sloan, SELF, 20 May 2025

That’s the environment that encouraged Republicans in the Missouri legislature to pass the bill that explicitly banned pharmacists from speaking to patients about the potential dangers of using the drugs off-label. —Suzanne King, Kansas City Star, 13 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1987, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for off-label

• damnable
• disable
• enable
• roundtable
• timetable
• turntable
• unable
• unstable
• able
• chaebol
• fable
• label

Medical Definition

off-label

adjective

off-la·​bel ˌȯf-ˌlā-bəl 

: of, relating to, or being an approved drug legally prescribed or a medical device legally used by a physician for a purpose (as the treatment of children or of a certain disease or condition) for which it has not been specifically approved (as by the United States Food and Drug Administration)

the off-label use of oral contraceptives to treat dysmenorrhea