View synonyms for adjuvant

adjuvant

[ aj-uh-vuhnt ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

serving to help or assist; auxiliary:
You'll be serving in an adjuvant capacity, on call if we need you.
Medicine/Medical. utilizing drugs, radiation therapy, or other means of supplemental treatment following cancer surgery or other primary cancer treatment: Compare neoadjuvant.
The cancer was caught at such an early stage that adjuvant measures were determined to be unnecessary.

noun

a person or thing that aids or helps:
a team of adjuvants.
Medicine/Medical, Pharmacology. anything that aids in the treatment of disease, management of pain, etc., especially a substance added to a medication to aid the effect of the main ingredient:
For some in acute pain, caffeine is an effective analgesic adjuvant.
Immunology. a substance admixed with an immunogen in order to elicit a more marked immune response:
Aluminum salts have been used as adjuvants in vaccines for many decades.

adjuvant

/ ˈædʒəvənt /

adjective

aiding or assisting

noun

something that aids or assists; auxiliary
med a drug or other substance that enhances the activity of another
immunol a substance that enhances the immune response stimulated by an antigen when injected with the antigen

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Word History and Origins

Origin of adjuvant¹

First recorded in 1570–80; from Latin adjuvant- (stem of adjuvāns, adjective use of present participle of adjuvāre ), equivalent to prefix ad- + juv- (stem of juvāre “to help”) + -ant; ad- ( def ), aid, -ant

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Word History and Origins

Origin of adjuvant¹

C17: from Latin adjuvāns, present participle of adjuvāre, from juvāre to help

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Example Sentences

Fresh air is the most important adjuvant for this that we have.

From Project Gutenberg

In certain minor affections of a spasmodic character it, therefore, forms a valuable adjuvant to other remedies.

From Project Gutenberg

It is claimed to be a reconstructive tonic and blood-making adjuvant, with favorable action in affections of the glandular system.

From Project Gutenberg

There is no scientific evidence that it has any value either alone or as an adjuvant to sandal oil.

From Project Gutenberg

How the use of yeast as an adjuvant to otherwise inadequate food mixtures exerts its beneficial effect is not yet made clear.

From Project Gutenberg

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