naltrexone

American  

[nal-trek-sohn] / nælˈtrɛk soʊn /

noun

Pharmacology.

1. a nonaddictive substance, C 2 0 H 2 3 NO 4 , used in the treatment of heroin addiction and opiate overdose.

---

naltrexone British  

/ nælˈtrɛksəʊn /

noun

1. a narcotic antagonist, similar to morphine, used chiefly in the treatment of heroin addiction

---

Etymology

Origin of naltrexone

First recorded in 1970–75; by rearrangement of parts of its chemical name

Example Sentences

Low-dose naltrexone has been shown to reduce fatigue and lower platelet aggregation.

From Science Daily • Jan. 8, 2026

Steroids, low-dose naltrexone, melatonin, lecithin, goldenseal, sceletium and a whole world of anti-inflammatory botanical ferments like kefir.

From Salon • Dec. 7, 2023

Cacciatore, whose daughter died in 1994, and who continues to identify as “a bereaved mother,” says the naltrexone study betrays a “gross, contemptuous” attitude toward grieving.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 24, 2023

The researchers gave depressed patients naltrexone to block the opioid receptor before administering ketamine, and found that this eliminated ketamine’s antidepressant effects but not its hallucinatory side effects.

From Scientific American • Feb. 22, 2019

When medications are used by the criminal justice system, the strong preference of corrections personnel is for naltrexone.

From Slate • May 8, 2018