One of the mysteries of the English language finally explained.
(chiefly of a drug) used to reduce anxiety.
- ‘Sedatives are more properly called anxiolytic drugs.’
- ‘Whilst this may be as a result of his anxiety it equally seems likely that this is a side effect of his anxiolytic drugs.’
- ‘Patients were not allowed to take antidepressant or anxiolytic drugs during the study.’
- ‘Grief mostly requires reassurance from friends and counseling by family physician with occasional small dose of anxiolytic medication.’
- ‘Although hypoxemia and anxiety may cause agitation and restlessness, anxiolytic medications should be administered only when the physician is prepared to intubate.’
A drug used to relieve anxiety.
- ‘Antiepileptics, antipsychotics, and anxiolytics are drugs that may be used as sedatives.’
- ‘Smokers with a high level of anxiety symptoms could possibly benefit from anxiolytics as a smoking cessation intervention.’
- ‘She had received counseling, antidepressants, anxiolytics, and sleep medication from her former physician, but in her opinion these had merely dulled her cognition and memory.’
- ‘Sedatives and anxiolytics should not be used alone to manage pain because they can mask the behavioral response to pain without providing analgesia.’
- ‘Only two classes of drugs (hypnotics and anxiolytics, and antidepressants) were independently associated with an increased odds of falling.’
1960s: from anxiety + -lytic.
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