intranasal

IPA/ˌɪn.trəˈneɪ.zəl/
IPA/ˌɪn.trəˈneɪ.zəl/

intranasal — adjective

  • intranasalpositive
  • more intranasalcomparative
  • most intranasalsuperlative

1. used inside the nose or put into the body through the nose

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

used inside the nose or put into the body through the nose

Example

The doctor gave Yara an intranasal spray before the allergy test.

collocation: intranasal spray

Christopher received an intranasal vaccine at the travel clinic.

collocation: intranasal vaccine

Common collocations
  • intranasal spray
  • intranasal vaccine
  • intranasal dose
  • intranasal treatment
  • intranasal drug
Synonyms
  • nasal

    broader; it can describe anything connected with the nose, not specifically a route of treatment

  • nasally administered

    formal medical wording that focuses on how a drug is given

Antonyms
  • oral

    describes medicine taken by mouth

  • injectable

    describes medicine given by needle

  • topical

    describes treatment put on the skin or another outer surface

Grammar Patterns

intranasal spray

intranasal vaccine

intranasal dose

intranasal treatment

Usage Note

Usually appears before medical nouns such as spray, vaccine, dose, or treatment. It describes medicine that is used inside the nose or enters the body through the nose, not medicine swallowed by mouth.

Common Mistakes

Take the intranasal tablet with water.
Use the intranasal spray in each nostril.
Intranasal medicines go through the nose, not by swallowing.

Word family

  • nasal
    adjectiveB2
  • intranasally
    adverbC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

These medical adjectives describe different routes or areas of treatment. 'Intranasal' is the most specific: it means a drug is used inside the nose or enters the body through the nose, as with an intranasal spray or vaccine. 'Nasal' is broader and can describe the nose in general, including nasal bones, nasal hair, or a nasal voice, so it does not always imply treatment. 'Oral' is the contrast for medicine taken by mouth, while 'injectable' means delivered by needle. 'Topical' describes treatment put on an outer surface such as the skin. Choose 'intranasal' when the nose is the actual route of administration, not simply the body part being discussed.

intranasal ↗nasal ↗oral ↗topical ↗injectable ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Built in modern scientific English from the prefix 'intra-' meaning 'within' and 'nasal', which comes from Latin 'nasus' meaning 'nose'. The term was formed to describe medicines or medical procedures that act within the nose or use the nose as the route into the body.