pharmacokinetics

/ˌfɑː(ɹ)məkəʊkɪˈnɛtɪks/

noun

A branch of pharmacology concerned with the rate at which drugs are absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and eliminated by the body.

OriginEnglish kinetics ← Ancient Greek φάρμᾰκον (phármăkon) →
Less commonScrabble 31
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Meanings

nounpharmacokinetics (uncountable)
  1. uncountablemedicineA branch of pharmacology concerned with the rate at which drugs are absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and eliminated by the body.
  2. uncountablemedicineThe particular rates at which drugs are absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and eliminated by the body.

    Physiologic-based pharmocokinetic models are sometimes used to describe pharmocokinetics in laboratory animals, but they are seldom used to describe the pharmocokinetics of drugs used in humans.

    2015, Thorsteinn Loftsson, Essential Pharmacokinetics: A Primer for Pharmaceutical Scientists, Academic Press, →ISBN, page 6

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekφάρμᾰκον (phármăkon)
  2. Englishpharmaco-
  3. Englishkinetics
  4. Englishpharmacokinetics

From pharmaco- + kinetics.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 藥物代謝動力學 /药物代谢动力学, 藥代動力學 /药代动力学
  • 藥物代謝動力學 /药物代谢动力学 (yàowù dàixiè dònglì xué)branch of pharmacology
  • 藥代動力學 /药代动力学 (yàodài dònglì xué)branch of pharmacology
  • 藥動學 /药动学 (yàodòngxué)branch of pharmacology
  • 藥代學 /药代学 (yàodàixué)branch of pharmacology
Dutch farmacokinetiek
  • farmacokinetiekbranch of pharmacology
Finnish farmakokinetiikka
  • farmakokinetiikkabranch of pharmacology
French pharmacocinétique
  • pharmacocinétiquebranch of pharmacology
German Pharmakokinetik
  • Pharmakokinetikbranch of pharmacology
Hungarian farmakokinetika
  • farmakokinetikabranch of pharmacology
Portuguese farmacocinética
  • farmacocinéticabranch of pharmacology
Romanian farmacocinetică
  • farmacocineticăbranch of pharmacology
Russian фармакокине́тика
  • фармакокине́тика (farmakokinétika)branch of pharmacology
Spanish farmacocinética
  • farmacocinéticabranch of pharmacology
Swedish farmakokinetik
  • farmakokinetikbranch of pharmacology
Cite this entry
APA

pharmacokinetics. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pharmacokinetics

MLA

“pharmacokinetics.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pharmacokinetics. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pharmacokinetics,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pharmacokinetics.

Source: pharmacokinetics on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.