This grammar question was sent by Marianne Freya Gutib to my Facebook Messages Box (January 22, 2017):Good morning, sir! I have a question. What is the difference in meaning between “medicine” and “medication:”? Can we say “take your medicines”? How about “take your medication”?
My reply to Marianne:In current informal and conversational usage there’s hardly any difference between using the words “medicine” and “medication.” They both mean “a substance or preparation used in treating disease” and can be used interchangeably. From a language register standpoint though, laypeople like you me would gravitate towards using “medicine” as a more matter-of-fact word for things that help maintain our well-being. Of course, doctors and health-care practitioners expectedly use the more process-oriented word “medication,” which gives more focus on the treatment action of medicines. Thus, if you’re not beyond your 20s and not taking, say, a medical or nursing course, your friends and acquaintances might find it odd if you habitually use “medication” instead of “medicine” when referring to ordinary over-the-counter, nonprescription tablets against ordinary colds. But then again, Marianne, it’s not a crime to passively acquire the vocabulary of TV characters in such movies as
Gray’s Anatomy and
Dr. House. Just don’t flaunt the usage with a tone as if you’re one of them.
