antimalaric
|an-ti-ma-lar-ic|
🇺🇸
/ˌæn.ti.məˈlær.ɪk/
🇬🇧
/ˌæn.tɪ.məˈlær.ɪk/
against malaria
Etymology
'antimalaric' originates from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti-' meaning 'against') combined with 'malaric', which relates to 'malaria' (from Italian 'mala aria' meaning 'bad air').
'malaria' comes from Italian 'mala aria' ('bad air'); the adjective/noun form 'antimalaric' was formed in modern scientific usage (19th century onward) by adding 'anti-' to forms related to 'malaria' to denote agents acting against the disease.
Initially, references to malaria were tied to the idea of 'bad air'; over time, 'antimalaric' came to mean specifically 'acting against or preventing malaria' in the medical sense.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a drug or substance used to prevent or treat malaria (an antimalaric agent).
Quinine was one of the earliest antimalarics used to treat malaria.
Synonyms
Adjective 1
effective in preventing or treating malaria; acting against malaria.
Antimalaric measures include using insecticide-treated nets and prophylactic drugs.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/03 20:43