medication

/ˌmedɪˈkeɪʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌmedɪˈkeɪʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌme-di-ˈkā-shən/ (ame, mw)

medication — noun

  • medicationsingular
  • medicationsplural

1. a substance taken into the body, usually as a pill or liquid, that is intended t

1.名詞B1
釋義

a substance taken into the body, usually as a pill or liquid, that is intended to treat or control a disease, injury, or health problem

例句

Min takes medication every morning to control his blood pressure.

verb collocation: takes medication

The doctor prescribed a new medication for Otis's asthma symptoms.

同義詞
  • medicine

    more general term; 'medicine' can also mean the field of study, while 'medication' specifically means the substance taken

  • drug

    broader term that includes both medicinal and recreational substances; can have negative connotations

  • remedy

    suggests a natural or traditional treatment rather than a pharmaceutical product

  • prescription

    refers to a doctor's written order for medication, not the medication itself

文法句型

countable: a/an medication; medications (plural)

用法筆記

Medication can be uncountable when referring to the substance in general ('He is on medication'), or countable when referring to specific kinds or individual products ('She takes three different medications').

常見錯誤

❌I need to buy some medicines from the pharmacy.' (when referring to personal prescription)
✅I need to buy some medication from the pharmacy.
💡'medicine' often refers to the field of study; 'medication' is the everyday word for the actual substance you take.
❌The doctor gave me a medication for my cough.' (using singular countable without article)
✅The doctor gave me some medication for my cough.
💡When talking generally, treat medication as uncountable.

2. the process of giving a patient medicinal substances to treat an illness or mana

2.名詞B2
釋義

the process of giving a patient medicinal substances to treat an illness or manage a health condition, especially as opposed to using surgery

例句

The patient chose medication over surgery to treat the blocked artery.

contrast: medication over surgery

Proper medication of the infection requires a full course of antibiotics.

pattern: medication of [condition]

同義詞
  • treatment

    broader term covering all medical care (surgery, therapy, drugs); 'medication' is more specific to drug-based treatment

  • therapy

    can include non-drug approaches (physiotherapy, talk therapy); 'medication' is exclusively drug-related

  • medicating

    less common verbal noun variant; 'medication' is the standard noun form

文法句型

usually singular: the medication of [patient]

用法筆記

This abstract sense of 'medication' (the act/process) is formal and typically appears in medical writing, hospital policy documents, or professional discussion. In everyday conversation, speakers use 'treatment' or 'medication' in sense 1 instead.

常見錯誤

❌The doctor recommended medication for the broken leg.
✅The doctor recommended treatment for the broken leg.
💡'medication' as a process refers to drug-based care; a broken leg may need casting or surgery, not medicine.
❌Medication of patients is important.' (too vague)
✅Proper medication of post-surgery patients reduces the risk of infection.
💡This sense needs a specific context to be clear.