panacea

¹

[ pan-uh-see-uh ]

noun

1. a remedy for all disease or ills.

   Synonyms: cure-all, nostrum, elixir

2. an answer or solution for all problems or difficulties:

   His economic philosophy is a good one, but he tries to use it as a panacea.

   Synonyms: cure-all, nostrum, elixir

Panacea

²

[ pan-uh-see-uh ]

noun

1. an ancient Greek goddess of healing.

panacea

/ ˌpænəˈsɪə /

noun

1. a remedy for all diseases or ills

Derived Forms

• ˌpanaˈcean, adjective

Other Words From

• pana·cean adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of panacea¹

First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin, from Greek panákeia, equivalent to panake-, stem of panakḗs “all-healing” ( pan- “all” + akḗs “a cure”) + -ia noun suffix; pan-, -ia

Word History and Origins

Origin of panacea¹

C16: via Latin from Greek panakeia healing everything, from pan all + akēs remedy

Example Sentences

"This is not the panacea that people are hoping for."

From BBC

She warned the plans were not a "panacea" for either nation.

From BBC

While McCook believes that new variety development is vital to the quest to make coffee more resilient, he and many other experts argue it's not a panacea.

From Salon

“Nobody said at the outset that it was going to be a panacea for all the humanitarian assistance problems that still exist in Gaza,” national security spokesman John Kirby said Wednesday.

From Seattle Times

The big picture here, acknowledged by them both and illustrated in this example, is this is deeply complex and there is no off the shelf panacea on offer.

From BBC

Related Words

• elixir