medicament

Everyday

(formal) A medicine: a substance used to treat an illness or injury, such as a tablet, cream or syrup. tree →

In the lessons

"Medicament" is a stiff, formal word; children, doctors and parents nearly always just say "medicine". You meet it on packets, in leaflets, in old books and in exam texts. It tells the reader the writing is official or old-fashioned. In other languages (French "médicament", Spanish "medicamento") it is the everyday word, so translators sometimes use it.

Examples

• The nurse put the medicament on the cut. tree →
• Keep all medicaments out of the reach of children. tree →
• The leaflet explains how to store the medicament. tree →
• "Medicament" is a posh word for medicine. tree →
• In the old story, the doctor mixed a strange medicament in a jar. tree →
• Never take a medicament that was prescribed for someone else. tree →

Note

Countable: a medicament, medicaments. Formal; in everyday speech say "medicine" or "medication". False friend for French, Spanish and Ukrainian speakers, whose everyday word looks like it — in English it sounds stiff. Safety: only take medicines from a trusted adult or doctor.