Meanings
adjectivelaxative (comparative more laxative, superlative most laxative)
comparative more laxative · superlative most laxative
- Having the effect of moving the bowels, or aiding digestion and preventing constipation.
BOlvs in Engliſh is called a morſell. It is a medicine laxatiue, in forme & faſhion it is meanely whole, & it is ſwallowed by litle gobbets.
1583, Philip Barrough [i.e., Philip Barrow], “Of Making Bolus”, in The Methode of Phisicke, Conteyning the Causes, Signes, and Cures of Inward Diseases in Mans Body from the Head to the Foote. […], London: […] Thomas Vautroullier […], →OCLC, book VI, page 288
nounlaxative (plural laxatives)
plural laxatives
- Any substance, such as a food or in the form of a medicine which has a laxative effect.
According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, the US is having a love affair with laxatives; Americans of all ages are ingesting so much of the stuff that there are now shortages nationwide.
2023 September 12, Arwa Mahdawi, “The US has such a love affair with laxatives that there is now a national shortage. This is not normal”, in The Guardian, →ISSN
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinlaxātīvus
- Middle Frenchlaxatif
- Englishlaxative
From Middle French laxatif, from Latin laxātīvus (literally “relaxing, loosening”).
More words from Middle French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek καθαρτικός
- καθαρτικός (kathartikós)causing movement of the bowels
Arabic مُلَيّن
- مُلَيّنcausing movement of the bowels
Bulgarian разхлабителен
- разхлабителен (razhlabitelen)causing movement of the bowels
Catalan laxant
- laxantsubstance with a laxative effect
Chinese Cantonese 瀉藥 /泻药
- 瀉藥 /泻药 (se³ joek⁶)substance with a laxative effect
Chinese Mandarin 致泄的, 輕瀉劑 /轻泻剂
- 致泄的causing movement of the bowels
- 輕瀉劑 /轻泻剂 (qīngxièjì)substance with a laxative effect
- 瀉藥 /泻药 (xièyào)substance with a laxative effect
- 通泄藥 (tōngxièyào)substance with a laxative effect
- 瀉劑 /泻剂 (xièjì)substance with a laxative effect
Czech projímadlo
- projímadlosubstance with a laxative effect
Danish afføringsmiddel
- afføringsmiddelsubstance with a laxative effect
Dutch laxerend, laxerende
- laxerendcausing movement of the bowels
- laxerendecausing movement of the bowels
- purgerendcausing movement of the bowels
- laxeermiddelsubstance with a laxative effect
Esperanto laksigilo
- laksigilosubstance with a laxative effect
Estonian lahtistav, lahtisti
- lahtistavcausing movement of the bowels
- lahtistisubstance with a laxative effect
Finnish laksatiivinen, laksatiivi
- laksatiivinencausing movement of the bowels
- laksatiivisubstance with a laxative effect
French laxatif, laxatif
- laxatifcausing movement of the bowels
- laxatifsubstance with a laxative effect
- purgatifsubstance with a laxative effect
German Abführmittel, Laxativum
- Abführmittelsubstance with a laxative effect
- Laxativumsubstance with a laxative effect
- Laxanssubstance with a laxative effect
Greek καθαρτικός, υπακτικός
- καθαρτικός (kathartikós)causing movement of the bowels
- υπακτικός (ypaktikós)causing movement of the bowels
- καθαρτικό (kathartikó)substance with a laxative effect
- υπακτικό (ypaktikó)substance with a laxative effect
Hindi विरेचक, रेचक
- विरेचक (virecak)causing movement of the bowels
- रेचक (recak)substance with a laxative effect
- विरेचक (virecak)substance with a laxative effect
Hungarian hashajtó, hashajtó
- hashajtócausing movement of the bowels
- hashajtósubstance with a laxative effect
Icelandic hægðalyf
- hægðalyfsubstance with a laxative effect
Irish scaoilteach, purgóid
- scaoilteachcausing movement of the bowels
- purgóidsubstance with a laxative effect
Italian lassativo
- lassativosubstance with a laxative effect
Japanese 瀉下薬, 下剤
- 瀉下薬 (shageyaku)substance with a laxative effect
- 下剤 (gezai)substance with a laxative effect
- 下薬 (geyaku)substance with a laxative effect
- 下し薬 (kudashi-gusuri)substance with a laxative effect
Korean 완하제, 하제
- 완하제 (wanhaje)substance with a laxative effect
- 하제 (haje)substance with a laxative effect
Latin laxātīvus
- laxātīvuscausing movement of the bowels
Malay julap, pelawas
- julapcausing movement of the bowels
- pelawascausing movement of the bowels
Māori whakatiko, rongoā whakatiko
- whakatikocausing movement of the bowels
- rongoā whakatikosubstance with a laxative effect
Norwegian Bokmål avføringsmiddel, laksativ
- avføringsmiddelsubstance with a laxative effect
- laksativsubstance with a laxative effect
Polish przeczyszczający, środek przeczyszczający
- przeczyszczającycausing movement of the bowels
- środek przeczyszczającysubstance with a laxative effect
Portuguese laxante, laxante
- laxantecausing movement of the bowels
- laxantesubstance with a laxative effect
Russian слаби́тельнoe, слаби́тельное
- слаби́тельнoe (slabítelʹnoe)causing movement of the bowels
- слаби́тельное (slabítelʹnoje)substance with a laxative effect
Spanish laxante, laxante
- laxantecausing movement of the bowels
- laxantesubstance with a laxative effect
Swedish laxerande, laxermedel
- laxerandecausing movement of the bowels
- laxermedelsubstance with a laxative effect
- laxativsubstance with a laxative effect
Tagalog palambut-dumi
- palambut-dumicausing movement of the bowels
Thai ยาถ่าย
- ยาถ่าย (yaa-tàai)substance with a laxative effect
Turkish müshil, laksatif
- müshilcausing movement of the bowels
- laksatifcausing movement of the bowels
- müshilsubstance with a laxative effect
Vietnamese thuốc xổ, thuốc nhuận tràng
- thuốc xổsubstance with a laxative effect
- thuốc nhuận tràngsubstance with a laxative effect
Welsh moddion gweithio, ffisig gweithio
- moddion gweithiosubstance with a laxative effect
- ffisig gweithiosubstance with a laxative effect
Cite this entry
APA
laxative. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/laxative
MLA
“laxative.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/laxative. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “laxative,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/laxative.
Source: laxative on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.