patent medicine

noun

: a nonprescription medicinal preparation that is typically protected by a trademark and whose contents are incompletely disclosed
also : any drug that is a proprietary

Note: Patent medicine is often used to refer to a product (such as an elixir, tonic, or liniment) that was marketed as a medicine in the U.S. during the 1800s and early 1900s but was typically of unproven effectiveness and questionable safety.

Examples of patent medicine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In reality, Kang explains, many patent medicines contained drugs like cocaine, morphine or alcohol, giving the illusion of an immediate soothing effect. Jordan Friedman, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Oct. 2024 By the end of the century, lithia water (water with a trace amount of lithium) was marketed as a patent medicine. Shayla Love, The Atlantic, 4 Oct. 2024 Sales of purgatives, tonics, syrups and patent medicines like Carter’s Little Liver Pills went through the roof as ordinary people were encouraged to closely monitor the frequency and quality of their bowel movements. Elsa Richardson, TIME, 3 Oct. 2024 In addition, companies and drugstores exploited loopholes by creating and selling patent medicines with high alcohol content. David Reamer | Alaska History, Anchorage Daily News, 23 July 2023 See all Example Sentences for patent medicine 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'patent medicine.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1770, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of patent medicine was in 1770

Dictionary Entries Near patent medicine

Cite this Entry

“Patent medicine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patent%20medicine. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

patent medicine

noun
: a medicine (as cough syrup) available for sale to the public without a doctor's prescription, that is protected by a trademark, has contents which may not be fully disclosed, and especially in the past was often of unproven effectiveness

Medical Definition

patent medicine

noun
pat·​ent medicine
ˈpat-ᵊnt-, British usually ˈpāt-
: a nonprescription medicinal preparation that is typically protected by a trademark and whose contents are incompletely disclosed
also : any drug that is a proprietary

Note: Patent medicine is often used to refer to a product (as an elixir, tonic, or liniment) that was marketed as a medicine in the U.S. during the 1800s and early 1900s but was typically of unproven effectiveness and questionable safety.

Legal Definition

patent medicine

noun
: a packaged nonprescription drug which is protected by a trademark and whose contents are incompletely disclosed
also : any drug that is a proprietary

More from Merriam-Webster on patent medicine

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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