Antianxiety

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Definitions

1. Relating to or denoting substances or treatments that reduce feelings of tension, worry, or nervousness ; connected to therapies intended to alleviate symptoms of anxiety or fear ; associated with medications aimed at calming apprehension and promoting relaxation
2. Pertaining to drugs or interventions used to diminish anxious thoughts and physical symptoms ; involving methods or compounds that help control undue stress and nervous agitation ; describing agents that work to ease psychological distress and induce a calmer state of mind
3. Characterizing pharmacological or psychological approaches that counteract excessive anxiety and promote emotional stability ; linked to medicinal products designed to reduce anxiety disorders or panic symptoms ; referring to techniques or remedies that help soothe anxiety and lessen mental strain

Etymology: "Antianxiety" is a plain compound, built from the prefix "anti-" attached to "anxiety." The prefix comes from Ancient Greek "anti-," meaning "against" or "opposite to," and it passed into English as a productive element that can be attached to nearly any noun or adjective to mean "opposed to" or "counteracting." "Anxiety" itself traces back through Latin "anxietas," from "anxius," meaning "troubled" or "uneasy," which is ultimately related to the Latin "angere," "to choke" or "to squeeze." Put together, the compound simply describes something that works against anxiety. Its usefulness lies in its transparency: a reader can work out the meaning from the two parts alone, which is why the word is so readily formed when medicine or psychology needs a label for a whole class of agents.

Synonyms: anxiolytic, calming, tranquilizing, sedative, relaxant

Antonyms: anxiety-inducing, stimulant, agitating