: a sedative agent or drug
Examples of sedative in a Sentence
Adjective
some people find a glass of wine to be a civilized and sedative addition to an evening meal
Noun
The patient was given a powerful sedative.
Recent Examples on the Web
Ben Tinker, CNN Money, 30 Mar. 2025
In any case, chamomile flowers—which look like adorable, tiny daisies—contain flavonoids, terpenoids, and coumarins which certainly have mildly sedative, anti-inflammatory, and antispasmodic properties.
—Valentina Bottoni, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2024
Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 20 May 2025
Florida uses a three-drug cocktail for its lethal injection: a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, according to the Corrections Department.
—Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sedative
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Adjective
Saltz: Lorazepam is in the class of medications called benzodiazepines, which is a depressant, and also sometimes referred to as a sedative hypnotic medication.
—Ben Tinker, CNN Money, 30 Mar. 2025
In any case, chamomile flowers—which look like adorable, tiny daisies—contain flavonoids, terpenoids, and coumarins which certainly have mildly sedative, anti-inflammatory, and antispasmodic properties.
—Valentina Bottoni, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2024
Noun
Jeff Getting: The evidence introduced at the trial was … contained in the autopsy report, which didn't find any significant evidence of sedatives …
But Kate Fox also testified that Linda had discussed ways of getting rid of her husband, including running him over with a car.
—Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 20 May 2025
Florida uses a three-drug cocktail for its lethal injection: a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, according to the Corrections Department.
—Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sedative
Cite this Entry
“Sedative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sedative. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sedative
1 of 2 adjective
sed·a·tive
ˈsed-ət-iv 
: tending to calm or to ease tension
sedative
2 of 2 noun
: a sedative medicine
Medical Definition
sedative
1 of 2 adjective
sed·a·tive
ˈsed-ət-iv
: tending to calm, moderate, or tranquilize nervousness or excitement
sedative effects of anesthetics and analgesics—Linda C. Haynes et al.
Linda C. Haynes et al.sedative
2 of 2 noun
: a sedative agent or drug
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