Analgetics

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A category of medications that reduce pain sensations while allowing the individual to remain conscious and aware
2. Drugs specifically formulated to diminish pain without affecting mental clarity or physical awareness
3. Substances used to ease pain while keeping alertness intact

Etymology: "Analgetics" is the plural of "analgetic," the adjective-turned-noun for medicines that relieve pain without causing unconsciousness. The singular "analgetic" comes from the Greek "an-" meaning "without" and "algos," meaning "pain," so the word literally describes something that works against pain. Medical writers in English adopted the form from the same Greek roots that gave us "analgesia" and "analgesic," the words it is most closely related to. The plural form simply names the whole class of such drugs, the way English speakers talk about "antibiotics" or "sedatives" as groups. Its use as a count noun is a modern convention in pharmacology rather than an older sense of the word.

Synonyms: painkillers, analgesics