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potentiator

potentiator

8.0
A chemical that makes a medicine or drug work better
  • noun
  • /pəˈtɛnʃiˌeɪtər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : potenciador
  • Caffeine can act as a potentiator for certain pain medications.

Examples

  • The new drug acts as a potentiator for the existing medication.

  • The doctor explained that grapefruit juice is a potentiator for some prescription drugs.

  • Researchers are studying new potentiators to improve the effectiveness of antibiotics.

  • In clinical trials, the potentiators showed significant results.

  • Fluoride acts as a potentiator, enhancing the effect of other medications when used together.

  • The doctor explained how certain vitamins can serve as a potentiator, improving the efficacy of specific therapies.

  • In clinical trials, the new drug proved to be a potent potentiator, amplifying the effects of existing treatments.

Synonyms

enhancer
vspotentiator
7 4.8

Something added to make another thing work, look, or taste better

is specific to boosting another substance's medicinal or pharmacological effect
synergist
vspotentiator
  • Specialized
1 8.7

A substance that makes another medicine work better when used together

is wider, boosting effects beyond only joint drug combinations

Antonyms

inhibitor
  • Specialized
46 6.0

A substance that slows down and can stop chemical reactions in the body or in a lab

How Effective

potentiator
  • Specialized
8.0
synergist
  • Specialized
1 8.7
adjuvant
  • Specialized
6 9.0
enhancer
7 4.8
additive
  • Specialized
38 3.7

Surface Forms

potentiator singular
potentiators plural

Morphology

potentiator = potentiate (transparent) = potent + iate + or

Formed by adding the agentive suffix '-or' to the verb 'potentiate'; in pharmacological contexts this directly names a substance that increases another's effect.

Etymology

Potentiator comes from the Latin potentia, meaning 'power', and is from the same root as the English word potent. In medicine, a potentiator is a substance that adds 'power' to another drug, making that drug more effective.