Contraindication

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A specific reason or circumstance that advises against a certain treatment or medication due to potential harm
2. A factor that serves as a warning against the use of a particular intervention based on existing health conditions
3. A situation where a recommended course of action is deemed unsuitable or dangerous for a patient based on their medical history

Etymology: Medicine borrowed this word from a much older Latin root that was originally about opposition in space. The Latin "contra" meant "against" or "opposite," and it grew out of an earlier form that compared two things facing each other, the same notion that gives English "contrary." Pairing it with "indication," a sign pointing toward a remedy, produced a term for a sign pointing away from one. The word is a straightforward English compound: "contra-" from Latin "contra" attached to "indication," which in turn comes from Latin "indicatio," a showing or pointing out. A treatment that is "indicated" is one the signs recommend, so a contraindication is a sign that a treatment should be avoided. Its prefix is the same one found in "contradict" and "contrast," and it is the same root that forms "contrary."

Synonyms: warning, advice against