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Added 9 October 2026

sedative

/ˈsɛdətɪv/ noun

Latin root: sēdātīvus Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about sedative at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

An agent or drug that sedates, having a calming or soothing effect, or inducing sleep.

adjective

Calming, soothing, inducing sleep, tranquilizing

Origin

Inherited from Middle English sedatif, from Anglo-Norman sedatif, from Medieval Latin sēdātīvus, which itself likely influenced the modern spelling. By surface analysis, sedate + -ive.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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