Plain Language Dictionary
The Plain Language Dictionary is a list of common medical words used when talking about medicines. It is a tool to help you find plain language words to use when writing or talking about medicines.
- Abdomen
- Ability
- Abrasion
- Absorb
- Accumulate
- Accurate
- Actual
- Acute
- Additional
- Adhere
- Administer
- Advantageous
- Adverse Effect
- Aerosol
- Affordable
- Aggravate
- Aggregate
- Aggressive
- Airways
- Allergen
- Allergic reaction
- Allergy
- Alleviate
- Allocate
- Alter
- Alternate
- Alternative
- Ambulatory
- Ameliorate
- Anaphylaxis
- Anemia
- Annually
- Antibiotic
- Anticipate
- Anti-fungal
- Anti-inflammatory
- Anti-viral
- Apparent
- Apply
- Appropriate
- Approximate
- Assess
- Assist
- Associated
- Asthma
- Asymptomatic
- ATSDR
- Attempt
- Authentic
- Authorize
- Autonomous
- Available
- Avoid
- Bacteria
- Beneficial
- Benign
- Beverage
- Blood level
- Blood sample
- Bronchodilator
- CDC
- Chronic
- Clinical
- Cognizant
- Colic
- Collaborate
- Combine
- Commence
- Comparable
- Competent
- Complications
- Component
- Comprehensive
- Concentration
- Concept
- Conclusive
- Concur
- Condition
- Confirm
- Consent
- Consistent
- Consult
- Contact
- Contagious
- Continue
- Contraindication
- Contributes
- Control
- Coordinate
- Criteria
- Cumulative
- Cure
- Currently
- Cutaneous
- Data
- Database
- Decrease
- Deem
- Deficiency
- Deformity
- Demonstrate
- Deplete
- Dermal
- Detailed
- Detect
- Determine
- Detrimental
- Develop
- Diagnose
- Diagnosis
- Dilate
- Dilute
- Diminish
- Directed
- Discharged
- Disclose
- Discoloration
- Discontinue
- Discuss
- Disease
- Disguise
- Disseminate
- Dissolve
- Disturbance
- Dosage
- Drowsy
- Duration
- Dysfunction
- Effect
- Effective
- Elevate
- Eliminate
- Emergency
- Emphasize
- Empty stomach
- Encephalitis
- Encounter
- Endocrine
- Enhance
- Ensure
- Episode
- Equitable
- Escalate
- Establish
- Etiology
- Evaluate
- Evidence-based
- Evident
- Exacerbate
- Exceed
- Excessive
- Exhale
- Expectorate
- Experience
- Expertise
- Expiration
- Exposure
- Factor
- Fatigue
- Feasible
- Febrile
- Finalize
- Fluctuate
- Frequency
- Frequently
- Function
- Fundamental
- Generic medicine
- Genetics
- Glucose
- Gradually
- Guidelines
- Hallucinate
- Hazard
- Hepatic
- Hives
- Hormone
- Hyperlipidemia
- Hypersensitivity
- Hypertension
- Hypotension
- Identify
- Immediately
- Impacted
- Impaired
- Implement
- Inaccurate
- Inadvertently
- Inadvisable
- Incapable
- Incidence
- Incomplete
- Incorporate
- Incorrect
- Increase
- Indicate
- Indication
- Indicator
- Individual
- Infection
- Inflame
- Inflammation
- Inform
- Infusion
- Ingest
- Inhale
- Inhaler
- Initial
- Initiate
- Injection
- Instructions
- Instrument
- Insufficient
- Intake
- Integrate
- Interfere
- Intermittent
- Internal organs
- Interrupt
- Intervention
- Intravenous
- Irregular
- Irreversible
- Irritable
- Irritant
- Jaundice
- Joint
- Justify
- Kidney
- Limited number
- Localized
- Long term
- Lung function
- Lungs
- Maintain
- Majority
- Manage
- Maximum
- Mechanism of Action
- Medication
- mg
- Mild
- Minimal
- Minimize
- Minimum
- Mitigate
- Moderate
- Modify
- Monitor
- Mucus
- Muscle contraction
- Mutation
- Narcotic
- NCEH
- Nebulizer
- Negligible
- Neonatal
- Neurologic
- Neutralize
- Nonpharmacologic
- Non-prescription
- Notify
- Not to exceed
- Numerous
- Objective
- Observe
- Obstruct
- Obtain
- Occasionally
- Occur
- Operate
- Optimal
- Option
- Originate
- Otitis media
- Palatable
- Papule
- Paralysis
- Parameter
- Partially
- Participate
- Pathogen
- Perform
- Permit
- Persistent
- Perspire
- Pertinent
- Photosensitivity
- Physical Exam
- Placebo
- Portion
- Postpone
- Potency
- Precaution
- Preliminary
- Prepared
- Prescribed
- Prescription
- Prevalence
- Prevent
- Previous
- Prioritize
- Prior to
- Probability
- Procedure
- Proceed
- Process
- Progression
- Prohibit
- Prolonged
- Prophylactic
- Proportion
- Propose
- Protocol
- Provide
- Public health
- Puff
- Pulmonary
- Qualified
- Rationale
- Reaction
- Recipient
- Recognize
- Reconsider
- Recover
- Recur
- Reduce
- Referral
- Regimen
- Register
- Regular
- Regulate
- Regulation
- Reimburse
- Reinforce
- Reiterate
- Reject
- Relief
- Remain
- Remainder
- Request
- Require
- Requirement
- Resemble
- Resolve
- Respiration
- Response
- Restart
- Restore
- Restriction
- Retain
- Review
- Revise
- Risk
- Rupture
- Schedule
- Screening
- Seek
- Seizure
- Sensation
- Severe
- Severity
- Shortness of breath
- Side Effect
- Significant
- Soreness
- Spasm
- Specialist
- Spontaneous
- Stable
- Steroid
- Stimulate
- Substance
- Substantial
- Sufficient
- Superficial
- Supplement
- Suppress
- Susceptible
- Sustain
- Symptom
- Syndrome
- Synthesize
- Systematic
- Systemic
- Taper
- Temporary
- Terminate
- Therapeutic
- Therapy
- Titrate
- Topical
- Toxic
- Transmit
- Traumatic
- Treat
- Tremor
- Trigger
- Ulcer
- Ultimate
- Unfavorable
- Unforeseen
- Unnecessary
- Urgent
- Utilize
- Vague
- Validate
- Variant
- Verify
- Voluntary
- Vomit
- Warnings
- Warning sign
- Wellness
- Withdraw
- Withhold
- Witness
