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View synonyms for over-the-counter

over-the-counter

1

[oh-ver-thuh-koun-ter]

adjective

  1. unlisted on or not part of an organized securities exchange: OTC

    over-the-counter stocks; the over-the-counter market.

  2. Pharmacology.,  sold legally without a doctor's prescription: OTC

    over-the-counter drugs.



over the counter

2

adverb

  1. not transacted through an organized securities exchange; directly to the buyer or from the seller.

    He sold his stocks over the counter.

  2. Pharmacology.,  without a doctor's prescription but within the law.

over-the-counter

adjective

    1. (of securities) not listed or quoted on a stock exchange

    2. (of a security market) dealing in such securities

    3. (of security transactions) conducted through a broker's office directly between purchaser and seller and not on a stock exchange

  1. OTC(of medicinal drugs) able to be sold without a prescription Compare ortho-

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word History and Origins

Origin of over-the-counter1

First recorded in 1920–25

Origin of over-the-counter2

First recorded in 1870–75
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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It is even slow when it comes to women's reproductive health: only this week was it announced that the "morning after" pill - a form of emergency contraception available without prescription in more than 90 countries - had finally been approved for over the counter use in Japan.

Read more on BBC

Because nicotinamide is available over the counter, its use is rarely documented in medical records.

Read more on Science Daily

Three more deaths in Los Angeles County have been linked to kratom, a compound that is being synthetically reproduced and sold over the counter as a cure-all for a host of ailments, the county Department of Public Health announced on Friday.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Each time regulators promise reform, contaminated syrups reappear - reflecting a fragmented drug market and, critics allege, a weak regulatory system struggling to oversee hundreds of low-cost, often unapproved syrups produced by smaller manufacturers and sold over the counter.

Read more on BBC

People with original paper bonds such as those purchased over the counter at the Post Office can register them online or call the helpline on 08085 007 007.

Read more on BBC

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over-the-airover the edge