alternative medicine

noun

: any of various systems of healing or treating disease (such as chiropractic, homeopathy, or faith healing) not included in the traditional medical curricula of the U.S. and Britain

Examples of alternative medicine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

So can animals, and a Fort Worth Zoo veterinarian is exploring just how much the alternative medicine technique can improve the lives of the creatures in her care. —Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 8 Mar. 2025

But there's been new interest in the plant – and its fruit in particular – in the last year, especially from the Western wellness community seeking alternative medicines rooted in traditional therapeutics. —New Atlas, 1 Mar. 2025

The shift began in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when alternative medicine researchers started identifying compounds within lion’s mane—hericenones and erinacines—that seemed to stimulate nerve growth factor (NGF), a protein critical for the growth, maintenance and survival of neurons. —Scott Travers, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025

The sattvic diet is an eating pattern followed by some practitioners of Ayurveda, a medical system from ancient India that involves a combination of yoga, alternative medicine, and lifestyle practices. —Laura Dorwart, Verywell Health, 24 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1972, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for alternative medicine

• biomedicine
• telemedicine

Kids Definition

alternative medicine

noun

: any of various systems of healing or treating disease (as herbal medicine) involving approaches not customarily taught or practiced in the U.S.

Medical Definition

alternative medicine

noun

: any of various systems of healing or treating disease (as homeopathy, chiropractic, naturopathy, Ayurveda, or faith healing) that are not included in the traditional curricula taught in medical schools of the United States and Britain