acetaminophen

IPA/əˌsiːtəˈmɪnəfen/
KK[əsˌitəmˈɪnəfən]IPA/əˌsiːtəˈmɪnəfen/

acetaminophen — noun

  • acetaminophensingular
  • acetaminophensplural

1. A medicine that reduces fever and relieves mild to moderate pain, such as headac

1.nounB2
Definition

A medicine that reduces fever and relieves mild to moderate pain, such as headaches, muscle aches, or toothaches. It is available without a prescription and is commonly sold under brand names like Tylenol in the U.S.

Example

The doctor said I could take acetaminophen for my headache and fever.

take acetaminophen for [symptom]

Before surgery, the patient was told not to take any acetaminophen for twelve hours.

Common collocations
  • take acetaminophen
  • dose of acetaminophen
  • acetaminophen overdose
  • acetaminophen poisoning
  • acetaminophen tablets
Synonyms
  • paracetamol

    The same drug, called paracetamol in British English and many other varieties of English

Usage Note

In British English and many other varieties, the same drug is called paracetamol. Acetaminophen is the term used in American English and is the generic name for brands like Tylenol (US) and Panadol (many other countries).

Common Mistakes

I took acetaminophen for my swollen knee, expecting it to reduce the swelling.
I took ibuprofen for my swollen knee, since acetaminophen does not treat inflammation.
Acetaminophen relieves pain and fever but does not reduce swelling or inflammation.
Tylenol and acetaminophen are different medicines.
Tylenol is a brand name for acetaminophen.
Tylenol is simply a brand, not a different drug.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Acetaminophen and paracetamol refer to exactly the same chemical drug. The difference is purely regional: acetaminophen is the term used in American English, while paracetamol is preferred in British English and in most other English-speaking countries (Australia, New Zealand, India, South Africa). Canada uses both interchangeably. In a pharmacy, a patient asking for paracetamol in the UK will receive the same medication as someone asking for acetaminophen in the US. The brand names also differ — Tylenol is the leading brand in the US, while Panadol is common in the UK, Australia, and parts of Asia.

paracetamol ↗acetaminophen ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • take acetaminophen for [pain/fever]
  • a dose of acetaminophen
  • acetaminophen overdose

Prepositions

Etymology

Englishcoined from chemical terms

The word acetaminophen was coined in the 1950s by combining parts of its chemical name: acet(yl) + amino + phen(ol). It was first marketed in the United States in 1955 under the brand name Tylenol.